Guerre 1914 - Hindu Fumant La Pipe [Indian Smoking a Hookah]
Postmarked May 24, 1919, some six months after World War I was over, though the card itself is probably dated earlier. Note the European man apparently smoking a pipe in the background.
Postmarked May 24, 1919, some six months after World War I was over, though the card itself is probably dated earlier. Note the European man apparently smoking a pipe in the background.
Postmarked Dec. 3, 1914, this portrait would have been made soon after the first soldiers from India arrived in France, where their presence was widely celebrated in the press and on postcards.
Note the hookah on the ground, next to the soldier unraveling his turban, a sight for French spectators captured here on a postcard.
[Original caption] L'Armee de l'Inde – La Coiffure de l'Hindou
Indian troops in France brought their own music bands which created great interest among the French, who attended concerts in towns where these men performed. Note the dhols and flutes shown here. As one correspondent wrote: “Mr. G.
Indian troops in France were supplied by their own cooks and bakers, with the scent of freshly baked naan in tandoori ovens often wafting over the countryside as reported by the journalists who accompanied them.
The "Generous Scotsman" is saying: “You are not hot, my brave Indian . . . what do you want I am not offering you my pants!”
Note that the word "Hindou" on French postcards from World War I was used to refer to Indians in general; this was intended
A very nicely stamped postcard, with the upside down figure, symbol of France, if the the "language" of stamp positioning holds in this case, asking "Do you remember me?"
The photograph is also exceptional, with its details of the men's kits, the
Scenes of Indian troops washing were witnessed by French inhabitants, especially women who often found the soldiers attractive.
A postcard showing goats being marched through the French countryside to feed Indian troops fighting on the Allied side during World War I. These scenes evoked great interest among the local French population and were shown on a number of postcards.
A rare surviving postcard from the Indian Expeditionary Force, the troops sent to fight with the Allies in Europe during World War I. It is addressed in Urdu to “M.