[Original caption] Entrance of Elephanta Caves. The caves are to be found on the Island of Elephanta which is situated about 6 miles from Bombay and are entered by a good flight of stone steps, constructed in 1854 at a cost of Rs.
A fine example of hand-tinting and documentation on a postcard. Note how the barber's entire work kit is proudly displayed at the bottom of the image, all of which fits into a leather satchel.
Postcards actually developed in part from advertising cards. In 1893, the year this card was first distributed in bulk at the World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago postal regulations started making it easier to send illustrated postcards through…
A moneylender strutting through the public square, carrying the ominous red books he uses to chase debtors through the courts, the vibrant city his backdrop.
[Original caption] Bird's Eye View of Fort from Taj Mahal Hotel, Bombay. Bombay was ceded by the Portuguese to Charles II in 1661 as part of the dowry of his Queen, Catharine of Braganza, which was transferred by the King in 1688 to the East India…
A very early postcard printed in India (postmarked Dec. 1902 in one instance) by the lithographer W. Cooper. The chance discovery of another photographic postcard shows how a scene like this was composed.
An atypical postcard that shows a ship in dry dock. That the title would have been familiar to residents of Bombay around 1900 testifies to the robust trade and commerce the city enjoyed with the Arabian Gulf, connections that go back thousands of…
