Four Kandyan Girls, Ceylon

This image published by The Colombo Apothecaries is apparently based on an original albumen photograph taken in the 1870s or 1880s by the British photographer Charles Scowen who sold his negatives to the firm when he tried to become a planter in 1896. Possibly thanks to the wonderful colors in the postcard, it became a very popular image. Four intelligent, well but not over-dressed girls easily meet the viewer's eye, confident in themselves and their culture.