A Fair Exchange
An early lithographic card by the elusive Bombay lithographer and publisher W. Cooper. Like some of this other cards, it seems to have originated in a photograph also published as a postcard by The Phototype Co.
Mumbai Bombay
Asking for Alms
The photographic original of one-half of the lithograph A Fair Exchange by W. Cooper.
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,
The Club of Western India. Poona
Benjamin B. Cohen, in his highly informative study of Raj clubs, In the club Associational Life in colonial South Asia writes: "Locating the center of the [colonial] club's sphere at Government House de-centered the club and reflects the strong link
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]
A Pathan
[Original caption] An inhabitant of North-West India unsurpassed as a hill fighter. Although Mahomedans, the Pathans rebelled against the Mogul Emperors round about the sixteenth century and were in consequence forced to keep to the hills. [end]
Village Scene, Bombay
One of the classic Bombay images from the period, this "village scene" with unruly palm trees was reproduced in many formats by Clifton & Co. though it is this collotype version that is the most captivating.
Sent from Perim (an island near Yemen) to
University Gardens and Clock Tower, Bombay
An early view of Bombay by one of its preeminent early postcard publishers. It shows the Rajabai Tower, completed in 1878 on the grounds of the University of Mumbai.
Hindu Monkey Temple
One of the most famous temples in Mumbai, Dwarkadhish Temple, built in 1875, was often referred to as the Monkey Temple because of the figures of monkeys eating bananas on the front.
Native Barber
Among the first postcards printed in India, from a lithograph by The Ravi Varma Press' chief lithographer, Paul Gerhardt.
