Completed
1 February 2025
to
31 December 2025
An archiving and digitizing project funded by NCBS Bangalore, in which CHC in collaboration with Labhopping Media archived and digitised the Mangalore Magazines published by St. Aloysious from 1897 to 1933, and St. Agnes Magazines from 1955-1965
We were thrilled to be able to hand over to St Aloysius College, Mangalore, a drive containing the full digitised set of files of its historic Mangalore Magazine. This is a feat we were able to accomplish with the support of @archives_ncbs as part of their PAST programme that was introduced to enable digital access to rare and endangered collections documenting under-represented histories in STEM in India (1850-1995).
🔥 Mangaloreans will know that St Aloysius College was founded in 1880, one of the earliest colleges established in the region. It catered to only boys until the principalship of Fr Leo D’Souza (a scientist whose papers are also part of our archive) in the 1980s. The college started offering undergraduate degrees in the natural sciences in 1882, affiliated to the University of Madras.
🔥 Since 1897, they published a periodical named The Mangalore Magazine, which was much more than a college magazine. Fr Maffei, the then principal and rector of the college encouraged his students to do field work and research the region of South Kanara, and as a result, the magazine contained articles of historical & geographical interest. The only preserved volumes of this magazine (as far as we know) exist in the library of St Aloysius, and while there have been early attempts to digitise them, none were completely fruitful. Meanwhile, the paper was rapidly withering away in the Mangalore humidity.
🔥 To historians of the region, the magazine is GOLD. It also included some rare glimpses of Indian science academia in the late 1800s and early 1900s. So you see how this was a perfect opportunity for @labhopping and @mangaloreheritage to collaborate. 🔥 We are so relieved that the physical issues of the magazines now have the best chance of survival, and that the digital issues will soon be open access, for the use of students and researchers anywhere in the world.
🔥 Thanks to the Librarians and the administration at St Aloysius who have been incredible partners as we navigated our first ever archiving project. And of course thanks to @archives_ncbs for equipping us with the understanding and the skills to take this on.
