Fort St. George Museum, Chennai, Tamil Nadu India

The Fort St. George Museum was organised and opened to the public from 31st January 1948. The museum began with a small collection of objects of the British Raj donated by the then Madras Presidency Government, the St. Mary's Church authorities, the disbanded army units and others. Over the years many objects were acquired by various means and there are now 3661 registered antiquities in the collection. Best among them (602) are on display in ten galleries.

The building housing the museum is one of the oldest surviving buildings built within the fort. The building was completed in 1795 and served as the location for Madras Bank. The museum building has a history of its own.

The antiquities are displayed in ten galleries spread over three floors. An imposing marble statue of Lord Cornwallis (1738-1805) greets the visitors. The statue, carved by Thomas Banks, was financed by funds raised from the public, depicts the scene of surrender of two sons of Tippu as hostages The lobby contains drawings showing the stages of constructions and renovations from 1640 onwards.

Arms like swords, daggers, rifles and pistols, mortars, petard, cannon shots, breast plates, helmets, baton, and fragments of shells fired at and in defence of Madras during the freak attacks during the World Wars, besides native weapons like bow and arrow.

The year 1644 adds another glorious chapter in the history of the South Indian city Chennai, then known as Madras, conferring upon it a gift of the St. George Fort along the shores of Bay of Bengal. Historically famous as White Town, the fort has taken its name from St. George who is believed to have a significant influence in the region during that era and whose birthday coincides with the day of completion of the construction of the fort. The fort is considered to be the first establishment of the British in India. Initially erected as a trading post, it later served as the origin of the modern Indian Army. A live example of the military architecture marvel, the St. George Fort is probably the most noticeable ancient monument in Chennai. The fort holds great historical importance and is looked after by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Towards the end of the 17th century, the East India Company was fully established within the territory of India, with British primarily focussing on the trade and economic activities. However, as the time passed, the company felt the need to have a permanent trading station. The dream was realized when it acquired the coastal land from a chieftain of Vijay Nagar. The company built the fort on this land and expanded their activities. It served as a home away from home for the officials of the East India Company. Furthermore, this helped in the development of the city Madras, now Chennai.

Primarily, the St. George Fort is divided into two sections: St. Mary's Church and the Fort Museum. St. Mary's Church enjoys the status of being one of the oldest surviving churches built by the British in India as well as the oldest Anglican Church on the land of India. This beautiful building, established in 1680 has stood the test of times and still holds the splendour of the yore. The tombstones in its graveyard are incomparable and are seen as the oldest one in India. Another fascinating structure here is the 150 ft tall Flagstaff, made entirely of teakwood. Though the original flagstaff is no more to be seen, its relics are still visible. The church is famously known as the 'Westminster Abbey of the East'.

However, one of the most striking buildings here is the Fort St. George Museum. It houses the relics of the British personnel who inhabited this fort. The construction of the building was completed in 1795 and served as the Madras Bank, whereas the long hallway upstairs served as the venue for public meetings as well as for entertainment. Today, the fort museum showcases a host of artefact such as coins, medals, paintings, letters, etc, belonging to the colonial period. There is a banqueting hall in the premises of the fort, called Wellesley House, named after Richard Wellesley, the Governor-General of India. There is a 14.5 ft tall statue of Lord Cornwallis in front of the museum, which is an art masterpiece. It was brought to India from Britain through ship. It is carved with a scene depicting Tipu Sultan, his two sons and the East India Company officials.

The uniforms of various ranks of the British Army, ceremonial dress of Madras Governor's Bodyguards and the Under Secretary of Madras Government, regimental colours of various units and cushions used in the official investiture ceremony and about 64 medals and medallions issued by the British Government for honouring its soldiers in various battles they fought in the Indian sub-continent are displayed in the Uniform and Medals Gallery. Madras, for a city of its size and importance, is singularly lacking in buildings of any antiquity, mainly because the original settlement was a creation of East India Company purely as a trading centre.

In the early part of the 17th century, it was essential for any overseas trading centre to be fortified against the possibility of an attack. In 1639 a grant was obtained from Damarla Venkatappa Nayaka, the local chief of Chandragiri on behalf of the Company, a strip of land, between the Cooum and the Bay of Bengal, as a site for a factory, and permission to build a fortification to protect it. The original settlement was the nucleus of the present Fort St. George. A group of buildings were built within the Fort at different times for different purposes with the increasing needs of the East India Company.

Various porcelains used as official tableware by the East India Company and similar ware of the Arcot Nawabs are displayed in the Porcelain Gallery. In the Portrait Gallery, portraits, oil paintings on canvas are displayed including those of George III and his consort, Queen Victoria and Robert Clive, Sir Arthur Havelock. Another interesting, painting is the earliest depiction of Fort St. George in 1738.

In the Miscellany Gallery various church silverware from the St. Mary's Church, and Zion Church, Tranquebar are displayed. The silverware of the former include the one donated by Elihu Yale, by whom, the Yale University in U.S.A was founded. There is a large-scale model of the fort as it stood in 19th century and locks and iron chests of East India Company and a palanquin of Arcot Nawabs. 

Objects on display in the Prints and Document Gallery include sketch prepared by the famous Thomas and his nephew William Daniell, Salt. H. Merke and others. Important among the document include few original letters written by Robert Clive and others. These prints, otherwise known as aquatints, essentially depicting Indian monuments and scenery, are laboriously prepared from an etched plate. 

The Indo-French Gallery contains exhibits like fine, decorated porcelain, clocks, stamps and coins issued by the French in India, furniture, lampshades and clocks. The artefacts of Wodeyars, an important native ruling family, like portraits, paintings of Mysore School, coins, flag and appreciation letters are on display in the Wodeyar’s Gallery. The prints, prepared by the Daniells and others, depicting various views of the fort, the buildings of old Madras, map of Madras are on display in the prints on Madras Gallery. These drawings throw light on the architectural history of the fort in particular and Madras and the vanished buildings in general.