Devika Rani
Devika Rani was a pioneering figure in Indian cinema, often hailed as the "First Lady of Indian Cinema." Born on March 30, 1908, in Visakhapatnam, she was the grand-niece of the Nobel Prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Bombay Mumbai
Watson's Hotel, Bombay
Built between 1867 and 1869, Watson's Hotel was India's first cast-iron building and one of the earliest examples of prefabricated architecture.
Victoria Terminus G. J. P. Railway, Bombay
Opened in 1888, the message on this postcard, dated October 12, 1905 (and postmarked in Ambala on Nov. 11) is correct: "Dear Aunt This is about the largest Railway Terminus in the World. with Love from T.H.H."
Khurshid, Indian Cinema Star
Khursheed Bano was a prominent actress and singer in Bollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. Born on April 14, 1914, she was a pioneer of Indian cinema.
Eid Card Train
A rather subtle Eid Mubarak ["Blessed or Happy Eid"] blends into the colorful sky as a train plows through the landscape. Bombay and Lahore were the centers of Eid card production before and in the decades after Partition.
Byculla Club, Bombay
Once one of the most important clubs in Bombay, it was opened in 1833 when the European population in the city was about 1,300. The club was known for its luxurious amenities, including chambers that cost Rs.
Katkari
Paul Gerhardt made a number of postcards of the people around the Ravi Varma press in Karli, outside Bombay, including the Katkari in Maharashtra.
Marine Drive Bombay
A black and white photograph of the then newly-constructed Art Deco buildings along one the city's posh and popular waterfronts, hand-colored with great design sense.
P. & O. S.S. "Macedonia" at Bombay
(10,000 Tons, 14,000 Horse-Power)
Founded as early as 1834, what became the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company still survives and P. & O. Cruises today, it is the oldest continuously operating cruise line in the world.
Moet & Chandon Dry Imperial, 1898
A very early advertising postcard for a fine French champagne from a brand that persists today by a distributor with a monopoly in the Bombay Presidency. Moet & Chandon would ikely have offered these cards to its distributors.
