India

His Photo

An unusual card which shows a woman, presumably a dancer, looking at the the photograph of a man, a self-reflexive trope that may or may not be recognized by us, who hold the postcard in our hands.

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Haunsa-Damayanti Sanvada

[Original caption, verso] Haunsa Damayanti Sanvada:–The bird Haunsa gave and extols to Damayanti all about Nala, when she is in a garden. [end]

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A humourous card from Moorli Dhur & Sons referring to gambling, a habit which many British soldiers in particular – at least from the postcard evidence – seem to have indulged in. The servant on the left is saying "Mrs.

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India North German Lloyd [Indien Nordeutscher Lloyd Bremen]

An early shipping line advertising card from Germany, from one of the largest late 19th century shipping firms that only in 1970 was merged into Hamburg America Line to form Hapag-Lloyds.

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The Ruling Princes of India

A collage which would have been assembled from a variety of photographs, not a single sitting. In the bottom center with the black jacket is the Nawab of Hyderabad, the richest of them all.

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Famous Nautch Girl

This postcard actually shows Gohar Jan, India's first gramophone recorded artist (1902) and the most famous singer of her time.

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Rice Grinding [handwritten]

A rare individually hand-painted postcard of a woman with a traditional stone rice grinder, often used to grind rice batter to make South Indian idlis or dosas.

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Ram and Tulsidas Meeting

This postcard is actually an exquisite work of art, signed by the Nathdwara artist A. Ghasiram. Nathdwara in Rajasthan was a center of "Pichwai" painting for centuries.