Savoy Hotel, Mussoorie
Postcards were an important advertising tool for hotels from the mid-1890s, when Alpine hotels in Austria, Germany and Switzerland helped to popularize the medium.
Postcard
Canal Scene, Narsapur Taluq
An unusual embossed scene, likely in Andhra Pradesh, where the frame contrasts nicely with the blue canal. Produced by a missionary organization, probably to raise money or advertise their activities in India.
Group of Mogul Empresses
Although the women do look somewhat similar in this set of a dozen Mughal Empresses, they can be identified individually thanks to the Urdu captions beneath each: [From Top Left to Top Right, First Row] Jamila Khatoon W/o [Wife of] Muhammad Mirza,
Confectioner's Stall - Jaipur
Some of the most interesting postcards are bazaar and storefront scenes, which can be staged or candid, but always seem to contain a wealth of information about life a century or more ago.
Palm Avenue, Botanical Gardens, Calcutta.
[Original caption] The Royal Botanical Gardens on the west bank of the river, were founded in 1780 on the suggestion of Colonel Kyd, and have been of more service to public and private gardens of the world than any other horticultural institute.
Greetings from Delhi
An early Greetings from Delhi postcard that seems to have been constructed from a number of other postcards given the way the titles appear on the images.
Shalimar Garden Lahore
The Shalimar Gardens in Lahore, about 18 km from the Indian border at Wagah, were constructed in the 1640s by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. They were inspired by his father Emperor Jehanghir's Shalimar Gardens in Srinagar, Kashmir.
Delhi. Old Fort.
[Original caption] Old Fort. Between the Mosque and the Jumna river stands the Fort–the ancient stronghold and palace of the Mogul emperor. A towering wall of red sandstone encloses it, moated and battlemented. [end]
Better known today as the Purana
Water Carrier, Chumba
The Princely State of Chamba appeared on few postcards during the Raj even though its rulers seemed to have good relationships with a number of Punjab-based photographers, including Fred Bremner and John Burke.
The Foot of the Shatrunjaya Hills, Palitana
These Jain temples were constructed in memory of Ādinātha, the first of the Jain tirthankaras, who is said to have meditated here. The publisher of these unusual postcards remains elusive.
