Higginbotham's

Last updated

Higginbotham's
Company typePrivate
Founded Madras, Madras Presidency, British India (1844;180 years ago (1844))
FounderAbel Joshua Higginbotham
Headquarters
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
,
India
Number of locations
22
Area served
 South India
Parent Amalgamations Group

Higginbotham's is an Indian bookstore chain and publisher based in the city of Chennai. The company's first bookstore at Mount Road, Chennai is India's oldest bookshop still in existence, [1] [2] founded in 1844. The company's second bookstore in Bangalore, located at M. G. Road, opened in 1905 and is the oldest existing bookstore in the city. Since 1949, Higginbotham's has been owned by the Amalgamations Group. In the late 19th century, the company published books under the name Higginbotham & Co.

Contents

History

An English librarian named Abel Joshua Higginbotham established Higginbotham's after reportedly arriving in India as a British stowaway. The captain of the ship ejected him from the ship at Madras port, after he was discovered on board. [3] [4] [5] In the 1840s, he found employment as a librarian with a bookstore named Wesleyan Book Shop run by Protestant missionaries. [3] [4] However, the store suffered heavy losses and the missionaries who ran the business decided to sell their shop for a low price. Higginbotham purchased the business, set up his own store and called it "Higginbotham's" in the year 1844. [3] Higginbotham's is, therefore, India's oldest bookstore in existence. [3] It soon gained a reputation for quality. John Murray, in his Guidebook to the Presidencies of Madras and Bombay in 1859, describes Higginbotham's as the "premier bookshop of Madras". [6] In March 1859, in a letter to Lord Macaulay, Lord Trevelyan, the Governor of Madras wrote:

Among the many elusive and indescribable charms of life in Madras City, is the existence of my favourite book shop 'Higginbotham's' on Mount Road. In this bookshop I can see beautiful editions of the works of Socrates, Plato, Euripides, Aristophanes, Pindar, Horace, Petrarch, Tasso, Camoyens, Calderon and Racine. I can get the latest editions of Victor Hugo, the great French novelist. Amongst the German writers, I can have Schiller and Goethe. Altogether a delightful place for the casual browser and a serious book lover. [6]

Higginbotham's started selling stationery [4] and also publishing and printing their own books from the 1860s onwards. [6] When the British Crown took over the governance of India from the British East India Company by the Queen's Proclamation of 1858, Higginbotham's printed copies of the Proclamation in English and Tamil and distributed them all over the Presidency. [6] Higginbotham's were appointed as the "official booksellers to His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales" during the latter's visit to India in 1875. [3] Its first publication ‘Sweet Dishes: A little Treatise on Confectionary' by Wyvern, came out in 1884. [7] Higginbotham's became official book-supplier to government and to various institutions, with different customers from British Prime Minister Clement Attlee (in office 1945-1951) to the last Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamaraja Wodeyar. Abel Joshua Higginbotham served as the Sheriff of Madras in 1888 and 1889. [3] [4] From 1890 to 1920, Higginbotham's were the sole suppliers to the Connemara Public Library. [6] James Higgs, who was the Managing Director from 1890 onwards, was a prominent Freemason who had previously served as the Grand Deacon of England and the Deputy District Grand Master of Master. [8]

Higginbotham's was renamed Higginbotham & Co in 1888. Abel was Sheriff of Madras during 1888 and 1889. During this period, he involved his son C. H. Higginbotham in the business. [4] On Abel's death in 1891, the firm passed on to the hands of his son C. H. Higginbotham. [3] C. H. expanded the business beyond Madras, and across South India. [4] Since 1944, Higginbotham bookstalls were established in many railway stations on the South Indian Railway and the Southern Mahratta Railway. [4] In 1904, the company's diamond jubilee year, the bookstore shifted to its current location on Mount Road. The new bookstore was specifically built for the firm, and designed to house books. Its high, sloping roof provided improved air circulation, and very few windows were built to prevent dust from entering. [3] [4] [9] In 1929, Higginbotham's had as many as 400 employees. [3]

Higginbotham's store inside the Anna international terminal, Chennai Airport Doha 001 (1).jpg
Higginbotham's store inside the Anna international terminal, Chennai Airport

Higginbotham's opened its first bookstore in Bangalore at M.G. Road (then known as South Parade) in 1905. The store was located in a two-storey Graeco-Roman-style building constructed in 1897. [10] This is the oldest bookstore in existence in the city. [11]

In 1925, John Oakshott Robinson of the Spencer's conglomerate purchased Higginbotham's, and merged the company with his printing firm Associated Printers, to establish Associated Publishers. [10] Associated Publishers was acquired by S. Anantharamakrishnan of Amalgamations Group in 1945, and has remained a part of the conglomerate ever since. [4] Some of Higginbotham's famous customers included Clement Attlee, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and S. Radhakrishnan. Rev. Miller, a pioneer of the Madras Christian College, was another regular at Higginbotham's. [6]

Higginbotham's was the largest bookstore in India until the 1990s. [3] [1] In 1989, renovations helped restore the original look to the Mount Road building. [4]

In mid-2015, the Bangalore bookstore was closed for renovations to revamp its interiors. The store was re-opened in February 2017. [10]

Branches

Higginbothams has a chain of 22 outlets spread across the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College of Engineering, Guindy</span> Engineering college in Chennai, India

The College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG) is a public engineering college situated in Chennai, India. It is Asia's oldest technical institution, founded in 1794. It is also the oldest technical institution to be established outside Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paradesi Jews</span> Ethnic group

Paradesi Jews refer to Jewish immigrants to the Indian subcontinent during the 15th and 16th centuries following the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal. Paradesi means foreign in Malayalam and Tamil. These Sephardic immigrants fled persecution and death by burning in the wake of the 1492 Alhambra Decree and King Manuel's 1496 decree expelling Jews from Portugal. They are sometimes referred to as "White Jews", although that usage is generally considered pejorative or discriminatory and refers to relatively recent Jewish immigrants, predominantly Sephardim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triplicane</span> Neighborhood in Chennai, India

Thiruvallikeni known as Triplicane, is one of the oldest neighbourhoods of Chennai, India. It is situated on the Bay of Bengal coast and about 0.6 km (0.37 mi) from Fort St George. The average elevation of the neighbourhood is 14 metres above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. Muthiah</span> Indian journalist (1930–2019)

Subbiah Muthiah was an Indian writer, journalist, cartographer, amateur historian and heritage activist known for his writings on the political and cultural history of Chennai city. He was the founder of the fortnightly newspaper Madras Musings and the principal organizer of the annual Madras Day celebrations. Muthiah was also the founder-President of the Madras Book Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madras Day</span> Annual festival held in Tamil Nadu, India

Madras Day is a festival organised to commemorate the founding of the city of Madras in Tamil Nadu, India. It is celebrated on 22 August every year, 22 August 1639 being the widely agreed date for the purchase of the village of Madraspatnam or Chennapatnam by East India Company factors Andrew Cogan and Francis Day from Damarla Venkatadri Nayaka, the viceroy of the Vijayanagar Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Salai</span> Arterial road in Chennai, India

Anna Salai, formerly known as St. Thomas Mount Road or simply Mount Road, is an arterial road in Chennai, India. It starts at the Cooum Creek, south of Fort St George, leading in a south-westerly direction towards St. Thomas Mount, and ends at the Kathipara Junction in Guindy. Beyond the Kathipara Junction, a branch road arises traversing westwards to Poonamallee to form the Mount-Poonamallee Road while the main branch continuing southwards to Chennai Airport, Tambaram and beyond to form Grand Southern Trunk Road. Anna Salai, which is more than 400 years old, is acknowledged as the most important road in Chennai city. The head offices of many commercial enterprises and public buildings are located along Anna Salai. It is the second longest road in Chennai, after EVR Periyar Salai.

The Egmore Eye Hospital, officially the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and Government Ophthalmic Hospital, is a public eye hospital in Chennai, India. Considered the oldest eye hospital in Asia, the institute was established in 1819 and is the second oldest hospital of its kind, next only to the Moorfields Eye Hospital in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S. Anantharamakrishnan</span> Indian businessman (1905–1964)

Sivasailam Anantharamakrishnan, affectionately called J, was an Indian industrialist and business tycoon who founded and led the Amalgamations Group of industries from 1945 to 1964.

Keechaka Vadham is an Indian silent film produced, directed, filmed and edited by R. Nataraja Mudaliar. The first film to have been made in South India, it was shot in five weeks at Nataraja Mudaliar's production house, India Film Company. As the members of the cast were Tamils, Keechaka Vadham is considered to be the first Tamil film. No print of it is known to have survived, making it a lost film.

Monegar Choultry is a choultry in the city of Chennai, India. It is considered to be the first organised charity in Madras city.

Binny and Co was a shipping, textile, banking and insurance firm based in the city of Chennai, India. It was one of the oldest business firms in Chennai city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Mary's College, Chennai</span> Government-run college in Chennai, India

Queen Mary's College is a government-run college in Chennai, India. Established in 1914, it is the first women's college in the city and the third oldest women's college in India and second oldest in South India after Sarah Tucker College. The college is located on junction of Kamarajar Salai and Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai facing the Marina Beach.

This is a timeline of major events in the history of Chennai.

Chennai, with historically rich records dating at least from the time of the Pallavas, houses 2,467 heritage buildings within its metropolitan area (CMA), the highest within any metropolitan area limit in India. Most of these buildings are around 200 years old and older. Chennai is home to the second largest collection of heritage buildings in the country, after Kolkata. The official list of heritage buildings was compiled by the Justice E. Padmanabhan committee. The Tamil Nadu Assembly passed the Heritage Commission Act in 2012 to preserve old heritage structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenian Street, Chennai</span> Street in Chennai, India

Armenian Street, locally known as Aranmanaikaran Street, is one of the historical streets of the commercial centre of George Town in Chennai, India. The road runs north–south and connects Mannady Street in the north with the China Bazaar Road in the south. The street is dotted with several century-old historical structures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amalgamations Group</span> Indian conglomerate

The Amalgamations Group, formerly called Simpson Group, is an Indian business conglomerate based in Chennai which has several business interests in Manufacturing Tractors, Automobile ancillaries, Plantation, Trading and services. The most notable being the Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, Simpsons & Company, Bimetal Bearings, India Pistons, T. Stanes & Co, Amco Batteries, Higginbotham's and Addisons Paint. The group today has over 47 companies with 50 manufacturing plants.

The Sheriff of Madras was an apolitical titular position of authority bestowed for one year on a prominent citizen of Madras. The post was abolished in 1998.

The Madras Record Office, currently known as Tamil Nadu Archives (TNA), is located in Chennai and is one of the oldest and largest document repositories in Southern India. Documents stored and archived in TNA are invaluable to researchers working on post-independence Tamil Nadu or British-era Madras Presidency. In addition to British India records, TNA also houses a substantial collection of Dutch East India Company records from the late-seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and volumes relating to various southern Princely States.

Dorothy Cisley Oldridge de la Hey was an English educator who was one of the pioneers in women's education in India. She was the founder of Queen Mary's College in Madras, Madras Presidency in British India in 1914. It is the third oldest women's college in India.

Royapettah Neighbourhood, in Chennai district, in Tamil Nadu State, in India

Royapettah is a neighbourhood of Chennai, India.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Pradhan, Swapna (2007). Retailing Management: Text and Cases. Tata McGraw-Hill. p. 39. ISBN   0070620202, ISBN   978-0-07-062020-9.
  2. ↑ Madras Rediscovered, Pg 81
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Khan, A. D. L. (23 October 2005). "Much more than a bookstore". The Tribune:Spectrum. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Muthiah, S. (13 August 2003). "Printer's ink on Mount Road". The Hindu:Metro Plus. Archived from the original on 29 October 2003. Retrieved 20 October 2008.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ↑ Kumar, Anu. "The Higginbothams story: How a sea cadet from Kerala set up India's oldest book chain in 1844". Scroll.in. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sundaram, V. (13 August 2003). "Deathless 'Humanity in Print' in South India". News Today. Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  7. ↑ Parthasarathy, Anusha (15 November 2011). "Survivors of Time: Higginbothams". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  8. ↑ Representative British Freemasons. Kessinger Publishing. 2003. p. 198. ISBN   0766135896, ISBN   978-0-7661-3589-5.
  9. ↑ Parthasarathy, Anusha. "Survivors of Time: Higginbothams". The Hindu. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 Thomas, Maria. "Higginbothams, the oldest bookshop in the home of Flipkart, gets a colourful makeover". Quartz. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  11. ↑ "Bengaluru's oldest bookstore Higginbothams gets a makeover, but retains old world charm". The News Minute. 28 February 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.

Further reading

13°03′55″N80°15′59″E / 13.0652°N 80.2664°E / 13.0652; 80.2664

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.