Coimbatore: GASS Forrest Museum

HISTORY:
In 1900 Mr. H.A. Gass, Conservator of Southern Circle, Madras Presidency, British India desired to develop a forest museum with specimens of economic importance and general interest in Coimbatore. The museum had a humble start from a nucleus of collections made by Mr. A.B. Jackson a British Citizen. In April 1901, Mr. Gass officially placed before the Board of Revenue for sanction to open a museum in the Conservator office. With more accessions arriving in the museum it was expanded during1902. Mr. R.D. Richmond, Assistant Conservator of Forest was then placed on special duty to catalogue the specimens. Collections were originally grouped in thirty four series. Construction of Gass Forest Museum commenced in April 1905 and was completed in June 1906 costing Rs. 8,860. At that time 358 different species of economic products were exhibited The museum was opened by H. E. Sir Arthur Lawle, Governor of Madras Presidency on 5th September, 1906. The Museum has collections of all important timber species found in India. Notable among the exhibits is a 456 years old cross section of teak in a girth of 5.7 m and a massive sandal tree weighing 1.75 tonnes and 10.2 m in height.

MANAGEMENT:

The management of this museum was handed over by Government of India to the Southern Forest Rangers College under the Ministry of Food & Agriculture. During 1988, the Institute of Forest Genetics & Tree Breeding, Coimbatore came into existence at Coimbatore under the Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education, an autonomous body of the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India which took over the management and control of museum and has undertaken its upkeep and maintenance.

WILDLIFE EXHIBITS:

In August 1909, the Madras government accorded formal sanction for construction of a forest college at Coimbatore. On 01st July 1912, the college was formally opened with one F.L.C. Cowley Brown as Principal of College and C. Srinivasa Rao as Curator of the museum. On 14th October 1915, new buildings of Madras Forest College and Gass Forest Museum were opened by His Excellency, Lord Pentland, the Governor of Madras.

During the World War II, the museum was temporarily closed for few years and the building was made available to the Defence department for housing the refugees from Greece and Malta. During the closure of the museum, most of the wooden specimens were disposed off and some valuable exhibits were spoiled. Many of them were auctioned for want of space. Owing to the keen interest of one J.A. Master, the then Conservator of Forests, Madras, the museum exhibits were saved from auction although a large part was disposed. With the tireless efforts of Sri C.R. Ranganathan, IFS, the then Principal of Forest College, the building was restored to college and was reopened to public.

Elephant Foetus: