Serravallo's Tonic

An early advertising postcard that makes you wonder if it is really India that is being shown, or perhaps an Arab scene? Seravallo's tonic was a "healthy wine," still used and marketed under the same name as a post-natal tonic for women, apparently readily available among Chinese communities today, showing how products can acquire vast international roots over time. The firm used postcards like these to market its wares around the turn of the century. It's other postcards of India show genuine scenes, so perhaps this was also taken on the outskirts of Karachi or Hyderabad.