The Sálim Ali Papers is divided into two series.
The first series is titled S R Nayak. It contains visiting cards/ contact cards that were kept by Sálim Ali. All visiting cards have been arranged alphabetically. It include visiting cards of artists, forest conservators, researchers, publishing houses, professors, government officials, etc. These cards were handed to Nayak who was working on a project with Sálim Ali in 1987 at BNHS.
The second series contains material donated to the Archives by Shahid Ali, Salim Ali's nephew. Some of this material was kept at Ali's residence at Kihim, Bombay. It includes letters, research material and ephemera. Most of this material was found tucked between a pages in a set of books on birds that belonged to Ali. Also contains a hunting log and a few personal diaries maintained by Ali. Includes material collected by Shahid Ali post Salim Ali's demise and some material related to Shahid Ali's own work on birds.
The intellectual arrangement strives to preserve provenance and original order of the papers. Where an original order could not be found, the Archives has applied an order, and folders within sub-series are arranged usually in chronological or alphabetical order. See Scope and Content section for details.
Sálim Moizuddin Abdul Ali was born on 12 November 1896. Ali is one of the most well known ornithologist and naturalists in India, popularising birding by conducting extensive surveys across the sub-continent and publishing several popular bird books. Ali was born and raised in Bombay and is part of the Tyabji family. He became involved with Bombay Natural History Society and was introduced to birding by BNHS members like Kinnear and Millard. Ali trained under Erwin Stresemann in Germany. After returning to India, Ali started conducting bird surveys in princely states across the country. Thus Ali began his long career in ornithology and conservation. Several organisations, sanctuaries and several species of birds are named after Sálim Ali. He died at the age of 90 in Bombay in 1987.
S R Nayak is an artist and photographer from Mumbai,Maharashtra. He is also a photographer of plants and trees. He worked with Salim Ali on a project as a project assosciate in the 1980s. It is during this time that S R Nayak collected a bunch of visiting cards of Salim Ali that he was throwing away.
Shahid Ali is Salim Ali's grand nephew. Ali also has a interest in ornithology and is a member of Bombay Natural History Society. Ali donated a set of books which belonged to Salim Ali to the Archives. The books were kept in the Ali residence in Kihim, Bombay.
Copyright may not have been assigned to Archives, National Centre for Biological Sciences. Permission for reproduction or distribution must be obtained in writing from the Archives at NCBS (archives@ncbs.res.in). The Archives at NCBS makes no representation that it is the copyright owner in all of its collections. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use.
Collection is open for access unless mentioned in specific folders of the finding aid.
When quoting from this material, kindly use the following format: Collection id/identifier, name of collection, Archives (Eg MS-036-1-1-1-1, Sálim Ali Papers, Archives at NCBS).
The first series was processed by Parvathy V. The second series was processed by Gokul P and Anjali Ramachandran.
Access Level: Onsite. Restricted researcher access, view on-site. See
Access Level: Onsite. Restricted researcher access, view on-site. See
Adkar, P D Ahmad, Qeyamuddin Ahmed, K J Akhtar, S S Alaudin, Senator Md. Hanipah S Aldrich- Blake, Pelham Ali, Idrees Ali, Qaisar Ali, Saad Ali, Sajjad Almelkar, A A Amonkar, Bibhas Anand, J S Andrade, Carol Anis, Sahibzada Ajaz Anwar, Shamsul Appanna, V Asthana, R C Aziz, Major Ahmed Abdul
Bana, Sarosh Banerjea, K T Bappu, M K Vainu Baptista, Clement Barua, Gopal Bedi, Rajinder Singh Bellare, Vijaykumar A Berger, Andrew J Beri, Y P Bhadauria, R S Bhagwati, Atul K Bhatkal, Sadanand Bhavsar, Praful D Bhise, N D Block, Stephen M Boewe, Charles Bradfield, JIm Brahmbhatt, R J and Brahmbhatt, S R Broacha, R H Bruce, Ashley
Access Level: Onsite. Restricted researcher access, view on-site. See
Cahill, Harry Amory Chandra, Shrish Chapri, M Y Chatterjee, Arin Chatterji, Ajoy K Chaudri, A K Chavan, Sheshrao Chavda, Divyabhanusinh Chettur, Nalini Chhachhi, S S Chimanbhai, Chinubhai Cook, Richard J Cooper, Naval Burjorji Cowasji, Sheila Currim, A R Curry-Lindahl, Kai
Daly, Ralph H Daruwala, D B Dasgupta, Arunabha Dasgupta, S P Datta, S Davis, Don R Dawood, Shamim Deshpande, Suresh B Dhavale, Y G Dhunjeebhoy, Homi D Divekar, G K Dobbyn, Michael Doble, Denis H Doerr, John E Donald, R B Dorji, Tseten
Access Level: Onsite. Restricted researcher access, view on-site. See
Ghosh, Shalil Gruisen, Lisa Van Gupta, Kailash Gusain, A S
H B Queen Mountain No. 336 Haque, A K M Aminul Haque, A K M Aminul Haque, C A Haridas, L R Harvey, Bill Hathi, K R Heerjee, Fali Hoffmann, T W Husein, Amir E Hussain, Jehangir
Imam, B Shaik Isherwood, R J Iwago, Tokumitsu
Jagirdar, N Jain, S B Jain, S M Janata Motor Driving School Jansen, J W Jasani, Natwarlal B Jay, Michael H Jayal, N D Jhaveri, Javahar M John, Ali Johnsen, Dennis O Joshi, G N Jourde, Paul
K S, Nagpal Kaestner, Peter G Kahl, M Philip Kajiji, Z T Kalidas, V Kalsekar, G G Kandeye, Gurdial Singh Kawamura, Syunzo Khan, Asmat Ali Khan, Asmat Ali Khan, Riyaz Ahmed Khan, Sahibzada M Yusuf
Khatu, K K Khorakiwala, H T Komlosy, D H Konrad, Volker Kothavala, K D Koyama, Naoki
Kulkarni, D H Kumar, Kohli Parveen Kumar, P Kumar, Pravin Kumaran, B
Access Level: Onsite. Restricted researcher access, view on-site. See
LaBastille, Anne Lakshmanan, C D S Landfried, Steven Latif, M A Liem, David S Lindblad, Jan Lobo, Ronnie
M, Jorge Boshell Madawela, M Madhavji, Pradip Mahmood, Syed Hamid Malhotra, R N Mallya, R R Manekshaw, Tehmas R Mathur, B C Matthai, Duleep Meeker, Oden Mehta, Bhargav Vinodray Mills, Wayne A Misra, K K Mistry, Ibhrahim Mistry, Ibhrahim Moddie, A D Mohan, Devendra Mohan, M Mohorkar, S H Mookerjee, A L Moolji, Ranjitsinha Moolji, Ranjitsinha Moos, Meher H Moos, Meher H Moral, R S Muttoo, D
Nadirshaw, Rustom D Nadkarni, S D Nadkarni, Shankar D Naeem, Mahammad Nagushbund, G Naik, A M Naik, N V Nair, M P Balakrishnan Nair, N Gopinathan Nandy, Pritish Nangia, D R Narayanan, A S Veda Nath, M M Natraj Publishers Nayampalli, Kishor S Neemuchwala, S A Nickels, Sylvie Nolte, Angela Nolte, Angela Northover, N J
Access Level: Onsite. Restricted researcher access, view on-site. See
Padki, R G Palekar, V C Parekh, Mohanlal C Patel, Baburao Patwari, K L Pemasiri, L P Douglas Peries, C E Podder, Sunil C Ponnusamy, P K Prabha, B Prakash, N S Prasad, M J Prasada, Vijay Pratap, K Putman, John J
Quickmire, J Stanley Qureshi, I M
Rabor, D S Rafi, F N Rajamani, R Rajendran, M V
Sathianathan, M A Sethna, A M Sharma, M M Sheikh, Nazim Singbal, R M Singh, Janak Sundaresan, M
Tyagi, Shishir Kumar
Vaidya, Malati Tambay Vikas, B S Vora, Chamanlal D
Access Level: Onsite. Restricted researcher access, view on-site. See
Altevogt, Rudolf Altevogt, Rudolf Ansari, P S Mohammed Grzimek, H C Bernhard Haddane, Brahim Jain, Rajendra Kumar Khan, Shahnawaz Khanna, J H Kramer, Karl Heinz Krebs, Pastor Krishnamurthi, R Kumar, A Panakal, J J Panakal, J J Raju, K S R Krishna Rajukkannu, C Ram, Amar Nath Rao, R Govinda Rashid, M A Sale, John B Small card of leopard Small card of bullock cart with men around
Access Level: Onsite. Restricted researcher access, view on-site. See
Access Level: Open/Online.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Devar's College of Commerce
Photocopy of a recommendation letter by the Vice-principal for Salim Ali.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)
Photocopy of a recommendation letter by BNHS for Salim Ali.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Stresemann, Erwin
Photocopied correspondence relating to Salim Ali's Nepal expedition, his application to the Zoological Survey of India, and a referee letter.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Unknown
A letter to Salim Ali from an unknown person with the address 'Forest Cottage, Dehra Dun' thanking Ali for the photographs. Also mentions a set of events that happened in Mussorie.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Prater, S H
Regarding the BNHS journal, procuring funding for surveys in Kathiawar.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Hoffmann, Lukas
Photocopy of a letter to Salim Ali regarding Hoffmann's experiments on Flamingos.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Meinertzhagen, Richard
Photocopy of a letter to Salim Ali about Meinertzhagen's trip to Israel and what Meinertzhagen thought of the country. There are also mentions of the different birds that Meinertzhagen spotted on the trip, including hawks, storks, and sea gulls.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Allen, Robert P.
Photocopy of a letter to Salim Ali from the research associate at the Audubon National Society. Includes information around a summary by Allen on flamingos in the Audubon Magazine.
Access Level 1: Online. See
The Secretary, Indian Council of Ecological Research
Photocopy of a letter regarding Salim Ali's name being included in the member's list of the council.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Williams, H.
Photocopy of a letter with Ali's particulars for a fellowship to "an Indian learned society of international reputation". Includes Ali's resume.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Pillai, N. R.
Photocopy of a letter regarding the PM receiving a letter from Horace Alexander about David Snow's visit to India to work under Salim Ali's supervision.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Work, Telford H.
Regarding the discovery of Kyasanur forest disease.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Ripley, Dillon
Photocopy of a letter from Salim Ali to Dillon regarding their visit after the AOU meeting in Los Angeles in 1953. Includes discussions on the birds Dendrortyx macroura and Ophrysia superciliosa.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Palmer, Andrew E
Regarding Ali's book 'The Birds of Sikkim'.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Invitations
Contains invitations to art exhibitions, events organised by Maharashtra government etc.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Digvijaysingh, Yuvraj
Regarding grey headed myna in Saurashtra.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Nanavati, A.N.D.
Regarding the scheduling of the All India Radio (AIR) interview. Contains the set of questions for the interview with the answers.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Yin. U Tun
To J C Daniels, regarding common and endangered birds in specific locations in Burma.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Bolen, Eric G
Regarding a manuscript on morphology and ecology of the lesser whistling teal co-authored with Rylander. Attached is the manuscript.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Singh, Gurmit
Regarding migration of flamingo in Punjab. Mentions Demosielle cranes.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Roychoudhury, Uma
A signed experience letter from Salim Ali when he was a Rajya Sabha Member, mentions Uma Roychoudhury was his personal secretary.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Bombay Natural History Society
Partial letter-- mentions BNHS journal.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Garson, Peter
Season's greetings. Mentions future visit to Bombay.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Book reviews
Contains photocopies of book reviews of Ali's book, 'The Fall of a Sparrow' by Elliott H McClure and Renee M Borges
Access Level 1: Online. See
Study of the ecology of some endangered species of wildlife and their habitats - The lesser florican in Sailana (MP)
Copy of technical report produced by BNHS with Fish and Wildlife Services USA and Department of Environment, India. Authored by Salim Ali, A R Rahmani, J C Daniel with Usha Bhutia and Meena Haribal.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Notes
Handwritten notes on the 'Kashmir Roller in North Gujarat' and a page from a daily planner.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Research prints
Copy of pages from research prints on Baya and Sparrman.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Illustrations of the roads throughout Bengal including those to Madras and Bombay.
Printed and published at the Asiatic Lithographic Company's press. Park Street Chowringhee. Calcutta (1828)
Access Level 1: Online. See
Access Level: Open/Online.
Cards
Contains a visiting card of Bernhard Grzimek, Director of Zoological Gardens, Frankfurt and also a mini note card with a message from J Tomkins.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Air ticket
Receipt for a ticket to New York.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Bob Lowther
Portrait of Robert Lowther, perhaps taken at Lucknow.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Birds
Postcard and photographic plate of a pink pelican and white-bellied sea-eagle and bearded vulture.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Contains a postcard, a photographic plate of a pink-backed pelican, a white-bellied sea eagle and a bearded vulture. Also includes a bookmark with Russian text from Novosibirisk Maximov and a mini photo of a hunted Siberian crane.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Drawings
Etched drawing of a river and mountains with a label 'Assam river'. Inscription reads 'EBOR'.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Easter card
Containing poem on ecological conservation.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Media clipping -- Source of wild ducks
Media clipping on wild ducks in Canada.
Access Level: Open/Online.
Photographic prints -- Birds
Photographs of swamp francolin, brahminy kite.
Access Level: Open/Online.
"With Hints on Preserving and Skinning Trophies in the Field". Includes a foreword by R.W. Burton. It is also signed by the author C.H. Stockley. Also contains handwritten notes from Ali's hunts.
Access Level 3: Restricted access. See
Salim Alis resume
Photocopy of a resume.
Access Level 1: Online. See
1959 - Blue Diary
Includes handwritten notes of different events that happened that year.
Access Level 1: Online. See
1987 - Blue Diary
Seems to be the final personal diary that Salim Ali used. Contains handwritten notes from Salim Ali. It was also maintained by other members of the family.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Contains 'The Illustrated weekly of India' magazine featuring an article on Salim Ali, many newspaper clippings from 'The India Post', the Marathi newspaper 'Nava Kaala', 'The Hindu Magazine: weekly edition' with articles featuring or about Salim Ali. Some of them are in other languages including Hindi and Marathi.
Access Level 2: Available upon request. See
Memorial meeting
Contains documents related to the memorial meeting held for Salim Ali. Includes an agenda of meetings, a list of messages selected for reading during the memorial meeting, a list of condolence meetings held at various places, and photocopies of condolence messages from Ian Prestt and M. S. Swaminathan
Access Level 1: Online. See
Invitation letters and posters for talks
Contains an invitation letter for talks by Shahid Ali at various venues including one at Alliance Francaise De Bombay.
Access Level 1: Online. See
List of the more important papers by Salim Ali
Handwritten list of the 15 papers authored by Salim Ali.
Access Level 1: Online. See