Abudahir, 42, works at a car seat and interior firm and lives in a rented home in Karumbukkadai. Despite limited space and resources, he has dedicated the last 28 years to collecting antiques, including not only radios but also coins, currencies, historic weights and measures, and old television sets.
Among his prized items are radios from as early as 1924 to as recent as 1990. His collection includes rare and historic pieces, such as a teak-box vacuum tube radio from the British Indian Army used in 1939, unique sets from remote islands, Britain’s Murphy radios, Germany’s Mackenzie models, and vintage Indian brands like Tata Nelco.
Abudahir’s passion for preservation is unwavering. “I save money by forgoing meals out and movies to fund my collection,” he shared, adding that his family fully supports his dedication. Alongside his radios, he has preserved unique weights and measures used before standardization, and locks from Aligarh, Dindigul, and Covai Chettippalayam, as well as Portuguese prototype locks.
For Abudahir, this exhibition is a way to reconnect people, especially the younger generation, with the essential role radio played in the past, keeping history alive for future generations.
