A very early postcard of Darjeeling which nicely represents, visually, the colonial project: a sprawling European building dominating lush grounds while tiny workers pluck away at tea leaves under the watchful gaze of a man in a solar topee.
![Ladakus Border of Thibet {Ladhakis Border of Tibet]](https://www.paperjewels.org/sites/default/files/styles/square_thumbnail/public/slides/ladakhis_0.jpg?itok=H83hek6v "Ladakus Border of Thibet {Ladhakis Border of Tibet]")
[Original caption] Ladakus, on the Thibetan border. These men, who are in reality travelling merchants or hawkers, are natives of Thibet, and during the summer months they journey via Kashmir into the Indian provinces.
An uncommon type of postcard flourished in Darjeeling, with individuals on real-photo black and white postcards carefully silhouetted and then individually hand-painted.
[Original caption] Group of Lamas. The Lamas are priests of the Buddhist religion.
One of the most common postcards from the Darjeeling area. The double loop offers a magnificent view of Darjeeling and Mount Everest. The toy train of Darjeeling is a major draw for tourists and connects Darjeeling to Siliguri in North Bengal.
A very early postcard of Mt. Everest, probably printed in 1901 or earlier, by Darjeeling's premiere studio, run by the Austrian Thomas Paar.
A very early postcard of Mt. Everest, possibly the earliest.
Sent to Jerome Steinback, 341–11th St., Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. and postmarked Feb. 14, 1902 in Darjeeling. [Recto] "2/13/02 Our greetings to you from the most beautiful spot in India –
Although a coolie – "a hired labourer, or burden-carrier"(Hobson-Jobson, p. 249) – were at the bottom of the social ladder, and the word is said to originally come from Kolis, a hill-people in the Western Ghats, "whose savagery, filth and general
Darjeeling owes its name to a blend of the Tibetan words namely "Dorje" (thunderbolt) and "ling" (place), that translates to "The land of the thunderbolt."
[Original caption] Dandy and Bearers, Darjeeling.
One can only marvel at the early "Greetings from" postcard, the way five photographs are woven into one image with the help of plant motifs, in this case tree branches but often palm trees for Indian images.
