If you’re fascinated by objects of history, The Old Curiosity Shop on Mount Road, that’s been around for about 70 years is the place to go to. Set in a red brick building (reminiscent of Colonial times), this shop stocks up artefacts and old antiquities from the days of yore with it's very first customers being the British. It was started by Ghulam Mohammed way back in 1946 to provide the British with art and craft supplies, but with the growing demands of their customers, the shop is now home to countless artefacts and antiquities (not everything is for sale though, but if you love History, you’ll be in awe of the incredible collections here).
Since many of their clients were British, they would always talk about how curious some objects were, and as time went by, people started calling it the Old Curiosity Shop. Back in the day, it was only a small store with only a few artefacts that were collected by Ghulam during his travels around the world, but now they not only collect artefacts but also replicate and offer antiques like jewel boxes, figurines, compasses etc. that are much loved by their customers.
There are also early photographs of the city for those who’d like to take a trip down memory lane and visit old Madras. The Old Curiosity Shop also has old documents like government records, maps, and famous letters. They are even known to have an original letter written by then-President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan? Whoa!
One can also find jewellery, sculptures, Mughal miniatures, vintage cameras, pens and compasses. The look and feel of this charming shop has been well known across the years with many celebrities, like the Nehru family having visited it. MGR, Jayalalitha and even other luminaries of the Tamil film industry are also said to have made frequent visits. With trinkets and artefacts from various times in history, the Old Curiosity Shop remains a space for admiring old world charm till date.