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The archives centre at Bengaluru’s National Centre for Biological Sciences has launched a new collection of material related to Leslie Charles Coleman, an entomologist and plant pathologist who worked in the princely state of Mysore in the early 20th century.
“The collection includes personal and professional correspondence, handwritten reflections, rare published material and media clippings, and an extremely rich set of photographs that document Coleman’s life and work, his post-retirement return visit to India in the 1950s, as well as the people and culture of Mysore State through the early 20th century. This collection would be of interest to historians, journalists, anthropologists, agriculturists, scientists, students, artists, and the general public,” the research centre said in a media release on Friday.
The launch, which coincided with the birth anniversary of Coleman (1878-1954), was followed by a walk-through of the collection led by Dr B Mallik, retired dean of Bengaluru’s University of Agricultural Sciences, who is working on a biography of the Canadian scientist.
“The collection documents the work of Coleman, a Canadian who was the first Director of Agriculture in Mysore State in pre-independent India between 1913 and 1934. He was first hired in 1908 as an entomologist focused on plant protection, studying specific plant diseases and pests affecting cash crops. He was known for implementing inexpensive solutions such as the Bordeaux mixture that cultivators could easily adapt. Coleman mentored a group of agricultural scientists in his department; K. Kunhikannan, M.J. Narasimhan and Venkatrao K. Badami all worked with Coleman and studied plants and insects, researching areas such as low-cost pest management and experimental agricultural projects. He was instrumental in forming local agricultural and experimental unions, and also set up agricultural research institutions across the State,” the release said.
Coleman was responsible for setting up the sericulture department in the 1920s and developed civil veterinary units in districts. He also worked with plantation owners across the Mysore state, acting as an advisor and helping in setting up various projects such as the Coffee Research Station in 1925 in Balehonnur and the Mysore Sugar Company in 1933 in Mandya. Coleman left India to teach at Toronto University in 1934.
The 2,000 sq ft archives centre includes space for research, processing, exhibitions, recording, and a leading-edge storage facility with monitors for temperature, light, humidity, air quality, water, fire, pests and noise.
The archival materials are available to the public.
Caption: Leslie Coleman using lab instruments during a visit to the Department of Agriculture in Mysore. [Credit: Archives at NCBS]
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