Calcutta. Devil Dancers.
[Original caption] Devil Dancers, Calcutta. The Devil Dancer with his painted body, hideous mask, and fantastic head-dress is supposed to strike terror unto the beholder; as a rule he but succeeds in amusing him.
Kolkata
The "Dhingy"
A small boat on the Hooghly, the "Captain Buxo." Hobson-Jobson defines "DINGY, DINGHY , s. Beng. diṇgī; [H. dingī, dengī, another form of dongī, Skt. droṇa, 'a trough.'] A small boat or skiff; sometimes also 'a canoe,' i.e. dug out of a single trunk.
Sri Subhaschandar Bose
Subhash Chandra Bose, also called Netaji, was one of the most prominent leaders of the Indian freedom movement, and remains one of the most revered leaders of the Indian freedom struggle, a representative of the most aggressive line with British
Raw Jute Mill, Calcutta
Jute was one of the major agricultural products during the Raj and for some period afterwards, with most of the crop grown in East Bengal, and the fiber processed in mills in and around Kolkata.
The "Baboo" Cyclist.
A satirical postcard showing a "Baboo," which Hobson-Jobson defined as used in Kolkata "with a slight savour of disparagement, as characterizing a superficially cultivated, but too often effeminate, Bengali," pulling ahead on the most modern of
The Bhistie
A contemporary artist's rendering of one of the most popular postcard subjects, the all important "bhistie" who brought water in an animal skin to the thirsty.
Rabindranath Tagore
A portrait of Tagore published three years after his death. In Krishna Dutta and Andrew Robinson's excellent biography of this great man (Bloomsbury, 1995), there appears this translation of this poignant poem:
Karma (The Worker), 1896
No sign of my
The Pagoda, Eden Gardens, Calcutta
[Original caption] The Pagoda, Eden Gardens. The Eden Gardens are beautifully laid-out grounds and were for many years the gathering place in the evening of the fashionable society of Calcutta.
The Postman
While an exchange of written messages has been part of history for a long time, the concept of a regular postal service seems to have arisen in Europe during the 15th century when French students were requesting so many goods, a regular service was
Native Constable
The Indian Councils Act of 1861 was the foundation for the Indian Police Service, one whose fine exemplars was this Calcutta Policeman, which the emblem on his belt so proudly proclaims. His instrument of choice is the lathi, from the Bengali word
