An Ayah
[Original caption] An Ayah - The term ayah may be applied both to nurses for children and for ladies maids.
1910-1919
Amphitheatre, Coronation Durbar, Delhi
A nicely framed view of the 1911 Durbar, with an Impressionist's blend of hats and heads, the first and only which a British monarch George V attended and was honored under an Oriental pavilion. It was the high noon of postcards too.
Country Boats on the Jhelum
A postcard by what was probably an amateur artist, Miss L. Barne, in Madras who self-published the card as a series of six cards. [Verso] "To be obtained from Miss Barne, St. Ebbas, Madras, and from Miss Farnell, 56, Manchester Square, W. I."
A Kashmir Boatman, Srinagar
An unusual vertical postcard, with the boat spilling out of the near frame, and an active centered boatman. An unknown owner wrote in pen on the back: "Note the shape of the paddle.
Astronomical Observatory - Jaipur
Jaipur’s relationship to the heavens had many facets, from the laying of the main avenue on an East–West axis between “the gates of the sun and moon,” to Maharajah Sawai Ram Singh’s personal fascination with astronomy.
Hamburg India Harbour
The India docks in the German port city of Hamburg, from where an increasing amount of goods, even postcards, were flowing back and forth at the turn of the century.
Kradyal Canal, Srinagar, Kashmir
A view of the canal in Srinagar, the summer capital of the Maharajah-ruled state of Jammu and Kashmir during the Raj. This view of a house jutting over the canal was popular among photographers and postcard printers.
Indian Soldier, World War I
A beautiful lithographic postcard celebrating an Indian soldier in World War I. Published in Lausanne, Switzerland, its design is exquisite: the flag just breaks the white border in a field of red, and features a faux postmark from the campaign.
King Emperor`s Message to the British Troops from India.
Over a million Indian troops served as part of the British forces in World War I; postcards were used to help recruit them, often in languages like Gujarati, though this card seems to have been intended more for British troops already serving in
Tea in Transit to Wharf Ceylon
The Sri Lankan tea industry grew from 250 acres under cultivation in 1876 to almost 400,000 acres in 1900.8 Some 150 million tonnes of tea were produced in 1900 worth 50 million rupees, half of Ceylon’s total exports.
