Located in Center City Philadelphia, PA in a set up of a rural poverty area of India, the Museum of Poverty first opened its doors to the public in 1960. Today in the city of Philadelphia, the durable collection consists more than 500 works of art, anything from paintings, photos, statues, and set-ups. The inside of the museum consist of providing space for exhibitions and programs that serves to the public.
The number of poor people in India, according to the country’s Eleventh National Development Plan, amounts to more than 300 million. The country has been successful in reducing the proportion of poor people from about 55 per cent in 1973 to about 27 per cent in 2004. Almost one third of the country’s population of more than 1.1 billion continues to live below the poverty line, and a large proportion of poor people live in rural areas. Poverty remains a chronic condition for almost 30 per cent of India’s rural population.A major cause of poverty among India’s rural people, both individuals and communities, is lack of access to productive assets and financial resources. High levels of illiteracy, inadequate health care and extremely limited access to social services are common among poor rural people.
MEMORY OF POVERTY MUSEUM FOUNDER
JONATHON SMITH PARKER(1925-1997)
Parker was born here in Philadelphia until he was 15 and then he was offered a job in India to study the different life styles and cultures. After spending five years in India, Parker came back to the US and decided to share his whole experience with the public and open up the Memory of Poverty Museum. Parker felt like he needed to give back to the people and community. He collected more than 200 pieces of art work from India, anywhere from his own photos to items that he found on the streets. Parker died in 1997 from a heart attack, but his findings and museums kept going and being shown to the public. His only dream in life was to create a museum with everything that he found and share it with the world.
The number of poor people in India, according to the country’s Eleventh National Development Plan, amounts to more than 300 million. The country has been successful in reducing the proportion of poor people from about 55 per cent in 1973 to about 27 per cent in 2004. Almost one third of the country’s population of more than 1.1 billion continues to live below the poverty line, and a large proportion of poor people live in rural areas. Poverty remains a chronic condition for almost 30 per cent of India’s rural population.A major cause of poverty among India’s rural people, both individuals and communities, is lack of access to productive assets and financial resources. High levels of illiteracy, inadequate health care and extremely limited access to social services are common among poor rural people.
MEMORY OF POVERTY MUSEUM FOUNDER
JONATHON SMITH PARKER(1925-1997)
Parker was born here in Philadelphia until he was 15 and then he was offered a job in India to study the different life styles and cultures. After spending five years in India, Parker came back to the US and decided to share his whole experience with the public and open up the Memory of Poverty Museum. Parker felt like he needed to give back to the people and community. He collected more than 200 pieces of art work from India, anywhere from his own photos to items that he found on the streets. Parker died in 1997 from a heart attack, but his findings and museums kept going and being shown to the public. His only dream in life was to create a museum with everything that he found and share it with the world.
Gallery 1 : living conditions
Many people that are in the lower economic class in India have to live like this. They live very simple lives that are hard to imagine. The homes are constructed quickly with what ever they have in hand. As you can see, cleanliness is not a main concern, its more that it is a roof over their heads that they are concerned about. You can also see how the kids live. The one collecting cups could be doing it because they can pay them to recycle the cups and they can get some money for their family. The other child seems to just be playing in the filth and examining what people throw out. A luxury he does not get to have.
gallery 2 : survival
Gandhi represents the poverty that exists in India. He would chose to lead his velvet revolution while choosing to still live as humbly as most people in India did. In this photo it shows him working on a spinning wheel. He was making his own cloths in order to show how Indian people should make their own cloths. The idea was to make their own cloths and not purchase from the British, making them live more impoverished.
GALLERY 3: social inequality
It seems as the economy in India keeps booming, the differences in the economic classes are becoming more and more prevalent. It seems that there is two different stories of India happening at the same time. As you can see, there are high rises that look gorgeous, and show how successful the nation has become. But you don't have to look far to see India is still impoverished as it has been before. Literally right next to a nice building complex you can see shanty homes that have been built on the walls of the complex. It is as if they truly don't care that this is how people live literally right behind them. Take a look at the man begging at the driver of the Mercedes. Clearly the man in the Mercedes has money if he is driving one, and the man begging does not have much money. The man in the car seems to be annoyed by this man because he has his hands thrown up as this man is asking him for money. A clear demonstration of the class difference and complete apathy one class has towards another.