India
Postcards actually developed in part from advertising cards.
Lithograph
Lithograph
Calcutta
Among the earliest known postcards of Kolkata, by a local and likely Austrian,photographer. Note the four tiny titles below each vignette for those eager to know.
A Morning Obligato
A very early postcard printed in India (postmarked Dec. 1902 in one instance) by the lithographer W. Cooper. The chance discovery of another photographic postcard shows how a scene like this was composed.
Bear-Leader (Darweshi)
A very early lithographed card by Paul Gerhardt, who ran the lithographic printers at the Ravi Varma Press.
Sent to Miss Ettoi Virmillion, 52 West & South, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, via San Francisco: [Recto] "Bombay 22 March 1905. Very bare. Will"
The Museum, Udaipur
A curious card, with the white space in the top corner intended for a written message by the sender before messages were allowed on the backs of postcard after 1905. The original Victoria Hall Museum, opened in 1890, has since moved to the City
Munshi or Mahomedan Teacher
A nicely coloured lithograph, with the green and red on the ground extending the teacher's garments.
A Benares Brahmin
An early (undivided back) postcard from Bombay's premiere bookstore and important postcard publisher and retailer at the turn of the century.
Street at Hyderabad.
A particularly charming postcard of a city bazaar, with the curve of the street in the foreground, daubs of red on two sun umbrellas, and a variety of carriages plying the mud-baked road.
“Hyderabad is the premier native state of India, having twice
Saringee [Sarangi] or Violin
![Saringee [Sarangi] or Violin](https://www.paperjewels.org/sites/default/files/styles/square_thumbnail/public/slides/sarangi-violin_0.jpg?itok=nDGP2b6u "Saringee [Sarangi] or Violin")
From a beautiful series of artist postcards that may recall elements of "Company Painting" in their direct representations of human form on simply (albeit coloured) backgrounds.
Royal Palace, Bangalore.
One of the more priceless messages on vintage postcards: "I do not want to exchange any more post cards with you. F. Terry."
Postmarked Kolkata 1907 and sent to Miss Florence Irwin, 256 Gottingen Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
