Madras Museum

 The Madras Museum was established by a notification in the Gazette of Fort St George dated 29th April 1851. Edward Balfour(1813-1889)  who was a Medical Officer of the Governor’s Bodyguard was appointed as the Officer in charge of the proposed Museum. He offered his  Honorary services for the establishment of the Museum. Initially a Curator, an Assistant and a Hamal were appointed. It was initially housed in the upper floor of the College on Pantheon Road with the Geological collections of the Madras Literary Society numbering 1100 as its nucleus.

   Within a period of 5 years the visitors to the Museum rose to 3,68,873. Balfour observed that prior to the establishment of the Museum there did not exist any place of recreation for all classes of the people of Madras. The only available entertainment was the gardens of the Agri Horticultural Society and practice of the bands on the Beach which were mostly patronised Europeans and East Indians. The visitors to the Museum were from all sections of the society. 

       The Museum Library Block was constructed and inaugurated in the year March 1876. This was the first public library of Madras before Connemara Library was established in 1896. It continued as Oriental Manuscript Library till 1935 when the later moved in to University Library Building in Chepauk. 

       In 1878 a great many request were received from Mahomedan gentlemen to allow the ladies of their families to see the Museum in seclusion. It was then arranged to set apart the afternoon of the first Saturday of each month for Ghosha ladies when women attendants were placed in charge of each room. This arrangement was discontinued in 1951 as it was found that more Ghosha women were coming on ordinary days than on the day set apart for them. 

       The New Extension building was opened in 1939 and housed mainly archaeological gallery. The Whale skeleton in the Museum is the remains of a Whale washed ashore in Mangalore in the year 1874.