Main Street with Pigeons in the foreground, Jaipur
A very popular Jaipur postcard, with pigeons even occupying the top of the dome on the right.
A very popular Jaipur postcard, with pigeons even occupying the top of the dome on the right.
[Original caption translated] "Indian vehicle harnessed with 2 mules used for refueling [end]. One of many French postcards celebrating Indian troops who fought on the Allied side in World War I. Note the snow on the ground.
It is to Bremner's credit that he managed to capture some of the most fleeting figures on camera, even if in rich, "picturesque" surroundings like this one where their presence added context and measure to images (and the trade that flowed through
Initialed "MD" in the right corner, Dhurandhar deftly captures early Bombay life. The labourer on the cart nearly falls backwards as he pulls the box up. A pretty tree separates the bullocks from the cart.
An early painted postcard, part of a series commemorating the 1903 Delhi Durbar but abstracted to something broader as "The Gorgeous East" series; note the water in the background which likely would not have been part of the Delhi Durbar.
Not many snake charmers make it into a photographer's studio, but here the soft floral backdrop and line of the flute reinforces the sense of the cobras emerging gracefully from their basket.
[Original caption] A Kerzawah is a popular method of transport in the Indo-Afghan frontier, the camel being the usual beast of burden, and able to carry four persons in a load.
A hand painted postcard from roughly 1905, many of which like printed postcards illustrated the various labor occupations.
An early Tuck's painted postcard made to celebrate the 1903 Delhi Darbar. Viceroy Lord Curzon and his wife Mary are atop the elephant, their arrival opened the Darbar.
A postcard that sums up the fantasy of colonial life for Europeans. The dog resting by the tub is to Indians most unhygienic, but to Europeans the ultimate Raj bathroom accessory.