Patel Brothers Family Photographs
Collection Overview
Donor(s): Susan Patel
Browse items in this collection
About the Collection
Collection Description
Biographical History
Begun in Chicago in 1974 by brothers Mufat and Tulasi Patel and Tulasi's wife, Aruna, Patel Brothers is among the oldest and largest Indian grocery stores in the United States. Mufat, Tulasi, and Aruna Patel were born and raised in the Mehsana district of Gujarat, India. In the 1960s, Mufat came to the United States for advanced education in engineering, eventually settling in Chicago to work as an engineer. His brother Tulasi and Tulasi's wife Aruna came over in 1971 from their village of Bhandu. Three years later, Mufat, Tulasi, and Aruna Patel opened their first shop on Devon Avenue in Chicago, Illinois and gradually expanded to other city centers with sizable Indian populations, including Detroit, New York, Houston, and Atlanta. Collection donor Susan Patel is the daughter of Tulasi Patel and the owner of Chicago business Patel Bros. Handicrafts & Utensils.
Sixty digitized photographs of the Patel family, owners of the Patel Brothers chain of Indian grocery stores. Donated by Susan Patel, daughter of co-founder Tulasi Patel, the images primarily document the domestic aspects of Patel family life, but also include some photographs set in Patel Brothers grocery stores. Most of the images are based in the United States, with a small minority also set in the Mehsana district of Gujarat, the Patels' ancestral region in India.
Biographical History
Begun in Chicago in 1974 by brothers Mufat and Tulasi Patel and Tulasi's wife, Aruna, Patel Brothers is among the oldest and largest Indian grocery stores in the United States. Mufat, Tulasi, and Aruna Patel were born and raised in the Mehsana district of Gujarat, India. In the 1960s, Mufat came to the United States for advanced education in engineering, eventually settling in Chicago to work as an engineer. His brother Tulasi and Tulasi's wife Aruna came over in 1971 from their village of Bhandu. Three years later, Mufat, Tulasi, and Aruna Patel opened their first shop on Devon Avenue in Chicago, Illinois and gradually expanded to other city centers with sizable Indian populations, including Detroit, New York, Houston, and Atlanta. Collection donor Susan Patel is the daughter of Tulasi Patel and the owner of Chicago business Patel Bros. Handicrafts & Utensils.
Browse items in this collection
Related Materials
Collection Themes:
Business (60)
Browse items in this collection
Administrative Information
Access & Use: Items in this SAADA collection are open for research. Items may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media without express written consent from the copyright holder and the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA). The user is responsible for all issues of copyright.
Browse items in this collection