Ganesh
This hand-painted postcard has this message written across the back in ink, likely by a European owner: "Ganesh, Ganpati the elephant-headed God. The Hindus invoke his name when they commence any important business.
Unknown Publisher
K. R. Bali
A striking studio portrait – note the painted trees – from the Punjabi garrison town. Only his name is printed on the back.
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.
Naquin Mosque at Fort Agra
An extremely rare postcard from India where stamps have been cut and pasted on the domes of the mosque.
Great Eastern Hotel, Calcutta
Around the time this postcard was published, H. St.J. B. Philby, the father of the famous British spy Kim Philby (born in Ambala in 1912) and then serving in India, wrote in his memoir Arabian Days (Robert Hale, 1948):
"The Great Eastern Hotel of
Carlton Hotel
Built in the 1890s by an Englishman, the hotel remains operational under the same name as a venue for marriages and Bollywood films as well a temporary residence for many a politician.
Shahjahan And His Queen
Mughal Emperors continued to live centuries after their death on postcards, most likely based on oval ivory portraits sold to tourists. The Queen here would have been Mumtaz Mahal, for whom Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal.
Royal Air Force (R.A.F.) Karachi Flyby
British Royal Air Force biplanes watched by spectators in Karachi. The R.A.F. frequently used aircraft like these in the northwest on the border with Afghanistan against tribal militias.
Indian Bakers at La Penne near Marseille
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.
Shirshal [Sher Shah] Bridge, Multan
![Shirshal [Sher Shah] Bridge, Multan](https://www.paperjewels.org/sites/default/files/styles/square_thumbnail/public/slides/shirshal-bridge-multan.jpg?itok=6c5R4IWK "Shirshal [Sher Shah] Bridge, Multan")
The ongest bridge over the Chenab River in western Punjab was built in the early 1870s with thick fortified turrets. Named after a famous Sufi saint in the area, it is still in use.
