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.
Kolkata
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
Nautch Girl
The role of nautch or "dancing" girl was changing at the time of this postcard. S.S.
Nautch Girl at her toilet
A slightly unusual portrait of two nautch girls in what seems like a room but is likely a studio given the painted column on the left. The bed is a prop, and the woman seated on the floor is apparently holding a mirror to the woman seated on the bed.
Calcutta. Dalhousie Barrack Fort William.
Fort William in Calcutta, completed in 1781, is a remnant British colonial rule.
Dalhousie Barrack, a four-storey building, is a captivating component of Fort William. Today it is the Military Head quarters of the Eastern Command of Indian Army.
Chitpore Road, Calcutta
One of Tuck's very first Kolkata postcards, before they put explanatory captions on the back.
Chitpur (Chitpore) owes its name to goddess Chiteswari whose temple was destroyed during the earthquake of 1737. Chitpur road, one of Kolkata's oldest roads
Calcutta. (Eden Gardens) The Pagoda from the Promenade
Another colorful artist-signed postcard of one of Kolkata's most prominent landmarks and postcarded spaces.
