Indian Raja
"RAJA, RAJAH , s. Skt. rājā, 'king.' The word is still used in this sense, but titles have a tendency to degenerate, and this one is applied to many humbler dignitaries, petty chiefs, or large Zemindars.
Clifton & Co.
A Cooly Woman, Bombay
The growth of a city like Bombay was largely dependent on the work of laborers who carried bricks and building materials on wicker baskets on construction sites, much like they do today, which must be part of the reason why they were such common
Cooly Woman
The original black and white postcard predating the color version.
The Club of Western India. Poona
Benjamin B. Cohen, in his highly informative study of Raj clubs, In the club Associational Life in colonial South Asia writes: "Locating the center of the [colonial] club's sphere at Government House de-centered the club and reflects the strong link
Village Scene, Bombay
One of the classic Bombay images from the period, this "village scene" with unruly palm trees was reproduced in many formats by Clifton & Co. though it is this collotype version that is the most captivating.
Sent from Perim (an island near Yemen) to
University Gardens and Clock Tower, Bombay
An early view of Bombay by one of its preeminent early postcard publishers. It shows the Rajabai Tower, completed in 1878 on the grounds of the University of Mumbai.
Hindu Monkey Temple
One of the most famous temples in Mumbai, Dwarkadhish Temple, built in 1875, was often referred to as the Monkey Temple because of the figures of monkeys eating bananas on the front.
The Albert Museum, Jaipur
Compare this to an earlier color postcard of the Albert Museum by the same firm from the same image, made when color printing of postcards from photographs was much less sophisticated, at least on a level where costs were low enough for mass consumer
The Albert Museum, Jeypore
A very early postcard of Jaipur, made from an albumen print, title and photographer visible in white where it was inscribed onto the albumen negative. The color was applied through hand-tinting. Compare to a colorized postcard of the same image made
A Table Servant
Note the liquor bottle, likely whisky and soda on the tray in the khitmatgar's hands.
