Mumbai: A City
Through Objects

EDITORIAL DESIGN & ART DIRECTION

101 stories from the Dr. Bhau Daji Mumbai City Lad Museum, Mumbai

This book is the most ambitious publishing exercise undertaken by a public Indian museum since Independence. Our task was to transport the reader in a way that felt they were looking at the object in person.

Through every aspect of design and presentation, this book re-imagines the museum for the printed page. Making connections between objects, historical research and oral narratives, it takes the reader on a tour of Mumbai city’s history.

We developed an accessible and attractive information design scheme around a palette of design elements derived from the interiors of the iconic museum building, combining them with modern typefaces inspired by Victorian sensibilities of the museum’s founding collection. The use of gold ink and celadon green frames echoes the design of the museum building’s Edwardian interiors.

A Harper Design publication, this book has set new frameworks for publishing within the Indian cultural sector.

** Winner of India’s Best Design Project Award 2022