Kolkata

Smiles on postcards from the early 1900s are rather rare, possibly because most portraits required the sitter to stay still for many seconds while the exposure was made, especially in the 19th century when most portraits were struck and re-purposed…

Nestor Gianaclis, like D. Macropolo & Co., another Greek-owned firm, was not primarily a photographer so much as a Greek tobacco merchant whose Calcutta office also issued collotype picture postcards and photographic prints in the early 1900s.

Kolkata is the financial, business and commercial nerve-center of eastern India and capital of West Bengal, and was the first and longest capital of the British Raj in India. On the left is a portion of Government House.

The Black Hole of Calcutta was made famous by an account written by John Hollwell, now disputed.

In 1756, the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-daulah captured Fort William and took a number of European prisoners who were unable to escape.

Postmarked Calcutta January 12, 1912 and sent to Ed Froehmer [sp?], Seward, Nebraska, USA.

[Verso] "Calcutta, India January 1012. This is the way that an Indian mother carries her child."

The Grand Hotel on Chowringhee Road, colonial Calcutt's main corridor, is now the Oberoi Grand Hotel. Built in the late 19th century, it was used by thousands of troops in World War II and today is among the most luxurious in India.

[Original handwritten message, verso] "25/11 Dear David, These are the funny old carriages which we see every day in Calcutta. The old lady has been shopping for Christmas."

This well-posed image of a fruit and spice store is appropriately shadowed by the iron framed structure behind it.

Postmarked Montral December 22, 1907 and sent to Miss Undine [?] Hemming, 213 West 16th St., Los Angeles, CA with this message: "14 Helen St., Montreal. Dear Undine, Have not had a word from any of you for quite a long period.

The Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in Kolkata is one of Asia's oldest and most significant botanical institutions, established in 1787 on the west bank of the Hugli River.