Snake Charmer

Snake charmers are one of the most common early Indian postcard subjects, and this must be one of the earliest and most beautiful such views. Note the clever use of the palm backdrop to create the illusion of depth, and the rich use of red. There is a curious tiny figure next to a tabla on the right. The scene would have been familiar to those visiting Victoria Gardens in Malabar Hills, from where the breathtaking “Queen’s necklace” view was illustrated in a companion Gerhardt-signed Bombay View postcard.