Women

A unusual real photo postcard that is both hand colored and has glitter finely applied to the hems of the woman's dress. She is resting her arm on a magnificent pedestal that suggests a north Indian studio, possibly in Lucknow.

While this postcard published in Jaipur may have had nothing directly to do with the Swadeshi movement then taking off in Bengal, the charkha was am emblem of that cause for self-sufficiency and using indigenous materials and processes instead of

Note how carefully this postcard has been hand-tinted, even the studio carpet adding a little depth.

One of the most popular of early nautch postcards, made in many variations by Clifton & Co. As is so often the case, the musician lends colour and evokes the dance even if, in this case, they are probably standing very still in the studio.