Udhagamandalam: It was an engrossing half an hour at the imposing Reading Room of the prestigious 158 year old Nilgiri Library in Ooty on Saturday evening.

With an eminent U K based author Christopher Penn making an audio-visual presentation a sizeable gathering comprising people from various parts of the Nilgiris and outside was transported to another era.

The presentation was on snap shots of 19th century Nilgiris taken by Mr.Penn’s grand father Albert Thomas Watson Penn better known as ATW Penn.

Mr. Penn had left home in England before he was twelve and started working as a photographer in this hilll station and other parts of the Madras Presidency by 1865, the year in which he turned sixteen. His work now forms part of major collections of nineteenth century photographs.

Among other books which carry his pictures is the monumental work of Sir Frederick Price “Ootacamund, A History”, published in 1908.

The photographs shown included the Ooty Boat House in 1875,the drained foreground of Willow bund (1880),the first panorama of Ooty (1875),James Wilkinson Breeks,the first Commissioner of the Nilgiris,the Breeks School,the landscaped Botanical Garden,Cinchona plantations,a Toda mund and the All Saints Church in Coonoor.

Introducing Mr. Christopher Penn, Dr.Tarun Chabbra, an authority on Todas pointed out that the author had come here first in 2002 to pick up the trail of his grandfather in the Nilgiris.He added that the photographer who died when he was a little over 75 was buried in the Tiger Hill cemetery in Coonoor.

Mr.Christopher Penn had in November 2000 discovered an old letter crumpled up behind the top drawer of his late father’s writing bureau.It had led to the discovery of many things which he had until then not known about his illustrious lineage.

Library president Mrs.Geetha Srinivasan honoured Mr.Penn with a Toda shawl. Library Secretary Mr.Ramakrishnan Nambiar also spoke.

Earlier Mr.Penn planted a sapling at the Savoy Hotel where his grandfather had stayed when it was known as Sylks hotel.