"The professional photographers of Darjeeling generated innumerable prints depicting those whose toil supported the lifestyles of the colonialists in their homes and businesses, and who created products they loved to consumer," writes Claire Harris
A very evocative studio portrait of three – instead of the usual single - ayah which, intentionally or not, hints at something of the pathos of their work.
In The River showing Jetties and Howrah Bridge. Calcutta ships from all over the world are docked on the Hooghly, next to 18th and 19th century mansions occupied by successful trading houses. Thomas Cook & Sons wrote in their 1911 India, Burma, and
Hobson Jobson (1903) the great dictionary of Indian words in English, defines "Dhoby, Dobie s. A washerman; H. dhobi [from dhona, Skt. [Sanskrit] dhav, 'to wash.'] In colloquial Anglo-Indian use all over India. A common H. [Hindustani] proverb runs:
Shell cutters usually use saws and other blade instruments to cut raw shells into different shapes to create jewelry, bangles, drinking vessels and other accessories.
A mendicant is a beggar, one who depends on the goodwill of others to survive. Looking at this short gentleman, one can imagine that he probably had little choice with at least one club foot and two walking sticks to get around, slowly.
