Our Dhoby, Madras
The dhobi was a favorite postcard subject, with the colors on this postcard - note the brilliant white - likely stenciled in by the publisher in India.
Chennai
Chalking the Doorstep, Madras
The Kolam tradition of creating complex geometric patterns, often passed down from mother to daughter, out of rice flour or chalk in front of the home is an ancient tradition in South India and elsewhere.
Banyan Tree, Madras
A postcard which represents something of the uneasy relationships during the colonial period. The ancient banyan tree is hemmed in by fencing and benches. Two bearded British men are enjoying a drink under its shade.
S.M.S. Emden
[Original German titles, translated] "Emden" Five English Ships in the Bay of Bengal. Upon the Return of First Lieutenant v. Muecke with the Emden crew in Germany [end]
The story of His Majesty's Ship the Emden is one of the most captivating of World
Mount Road, Madras
The most important road in Chennai, now known as Anna Salai, and originally known St. Thomas Mount Road. It ran from the European settlement at Fort St. George to St. Thomas Mount where the Apostle St. Thomas ("Doubting Thomas") was killed in 72 CE.
The Madras Club
The grand old building of the Madras Club, with the banqueting hall in the center. Founded in 1832, the "Ace of Club" as it was known was the second oldest in India after the Bengal Club.
Mylapore Temple and Tank - Madras
The Kapaleeshwarar Temple outside Chennai dedicated to lord Shiva is about 1,400 years old and this view is very similar today. Note the people in the foreground.
Street Scene, Madras
Note the diagonal leading the eye into a rich scene, the figures in the corners of the frame, the tethered cow on the left, the pots in the coals, the vibrancy of this human space under a hoisted banner.
Mother and Child
A very simply but effectively hand-tinted card: blue, yellow and a pink hue that connects the babies anklet and mother's right earrings.
Greeting from South India
An unusual early "Greetings from" card by Wiele & Klein, one of the leading photographic studios in South India. The woman looks slightly bored, if not irritated in this studio pose.
