Court card or court sized card was the name given to a size of picture postcard, mainly used in the United Kingdom, which were approximately 4.75 x 3.5 inches and predates the standard size of 5.5 x 3.5 inches (Wikipedia).
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.
An unusual early "Greetings from" card by Wiele & Klein, one of the leading photographic studios in South India. The woman looks slightly bored, if not irritated in this studio pose.
A drawing by the painter M.V. Dhurandhar that animates the meaning of "syce" as having to do with "coaxing." It was defined by Hobson-Jobson (1906): "SYCE (p. 885) SYCE , s. Hind. from Ar. sāïs. A groom.
A rare real-photo court-sized postcard taken inside Almora Jail. Sent to Miss Nancy Iverson in Ealing London and postmarked Almora, Nov. 2, 1904: "Prisoners at work Almora Jail Love Daddy."
A lovely character sketch by the artist M.V. Dhurandhar of a carriage driver in turn of the century Bombay.
![[Dancer]](https://www.paperjewels.org/sites/default/files/styles/square_thumbnail/public/slides/nautch-woman-g-and-o-court-sized.jpg?itok=ZqgDCVag "[Dancer]")
An even smaller than usual court-sized postcard, with a blind-stamped instead of printed "Post Card" on the back, suggesting it is among the earliest postcards published by the firm, and therefore one of the first of a dancer.
President, 17th Congress, Calcutta 1901
Celebrating one of the many Parsee businessmen who supported the Independence struggle and founded the Indian National Congress Party.
An early postcard and theme of Bombay artists, the fisher woman, with a basket of fish on her head. A fishing vessel is in the background, its mast at an angle which adds energy to her pose.
A very early postcard of Mt. Everest, probably printed in 1901 or earlier, by Darjeeling's premiere studio, run by the Austrian Thomas Paar.
![Greetings from Madras [Message]](https://www.paperjewels.org/sites/default/files/styles/square_thumbnail/public/slides/greetings-from-madras-wiele-klein.jpg?itok=VPBE9a0x "Greetings from Madras [Message]")
This particular card was mailed to France from Chennai on Dec. 25, 1900. Note the entire message is readable, but from what is seems to say:
[Unclear first word] "Happy new year, Mr. Francis. Really it is not cold here. Antoine."
[Original French,
