Bombay Mumbai

Punkha Boy

Punkha Boy

A key figure in the Raj was the punkha boy or man, who pulled the string that moved a fan in a bar or in the sleeping quarters to keep their employers cool.

Parsee Priest

Parsee Priest

From Dhurandhar's earliest postcard series featuring the people of Bombay. Once again, a gesture defines character, with the white space next to the priest space for the sender to write a message.

Village Scene, Bombay

Village Scene, Bombay

One of the classic Bombay images from the period, this "village scene" with unruly palm trees was reproduced in many formats by Clifton & Co. though it is this collotype version that is the most captivating.

Sent from Perim (an island near Yemen) to

Native Soldier

Native Soldier

Another striking portrait by the great Indian artist M.V. Dhurandhar (1867-1944). This one was sent in 1905 by an Indian postcard collector, probably in Bombay, who pursued his hobby in a way that gives insight into early collector's fine tastes:

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India

India

This 1892 Singer Manufacturing Co. advertising card for its sewing machines is probably the very first postcard of India, even if technically it was an ad card and not meant to be mailed with a stamp and address visible on the back.

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