Untitled [Set of 44 assorted postcards on Delhi Durbar]
• Coronation Durbar, Delhi. State entry of the King Emperor through the King's gate, Karachi: Rewachand Motumul & Sons, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar, Delhi. The King Emperor and Queen Empress presenting themselves to their people, Karachi: Rewachand Motumul & Sons, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar, Delhi. The King Emperor inspecting the veterans, Karachi: Rewachand Motumul & Sons, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar, Delhi. Native cavalry marching past the King Emperor, Karachi: Rewachand Motumul & Sons, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar, Delhi. Camel corps Marching past the King Emperor, Karachi: Rewachand Motumul & Sons, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar, Delhi. The King Emperor and Queen Empress, Karachi: Rewachand Motumul & Sons, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar, Delhi. The King Emperor reading the proclamation, Karachi: Rewachand Motumul & Sons, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar, Delhi. Nizam of Hyderabad before the King Emperor and Queen Empress, Karachi: Rewachand Motumul & Sons, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar, Delhi. The King Emperor and Queen Empress presenting themselves to their people, Karachi: Rewachand Motumul & Sons, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar, Delhi. Royal Procession the Jumma Musjid Mosque, Karachi: Rewachand Motumul & Sons, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Their Majesties passing under the Municipal Arch - Bombay, unknown publisher, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 14 x 9 cm
• His Majesty inspecting the Guard of Honour at the Apollo Bunder - Bombay, unknown publisher, circa 1910, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• H.E.The Governor Bombay Camp Coronation Durbar Delhi 1911, H A Mirza & Sons, Delhi, circa 1911, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• His Highness the Maharaja Sahib Bahadoor. Jaipur, unknown publisher, circa 1907, halftone, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Kumar Shri Ranjitsinhji, Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, Raphael Tuck & Sons, photograph, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Maharaj Sri Zalim Singhji, Saheb Bahadur. Vice-President of the Regency Council, Jodhpur State, unknown publisher, circa 1907, halftone, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• H.H.Maharajah of Vydepore, unknown publisher, circa 1907, halftone, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• An Indian Prince, unknown publisher, circa 1907, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• An Indian Rajah, Clifton & Co., Bombay, circa 1907, colour postcard, undivided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• H.H.Late Maharajah of Bundy,, D Marcopolo & Co., Calcutta, numbered T 89, circa 1907, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• The Ruling Princes of India, unknown publisher, numbered 645, circa 1907, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• H.H. the Nizam leaving the Residency, Hyderabad, halftone, circa 1907, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Their Imperial Majesties proceeding to the Royal Shamiana, Bombay, halftone, circa 1907, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• H.R.H. inspecting the Transport Corps at Jaipur, Higginbotham & C0., Madras, halftone, circa 1907, undivided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• General View of Amphitheatre- Bombay, unknown publisher, photograph, circa 1907, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Delhi Durbar - Their Majesties at the Fort, Delhi, unknown publisher, halftone, circa 1907, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Groups of State Elephants, Mysore, unknown publisher, numbered 777, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• State Entry, Coronation Durbar. Delhi, Moorli Dhur & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1392, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Imperial Procession from Fort in readiness, Delhi, Moorli Dhur & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1394, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Review of Native Retainers (India), Shurey's Publications, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Ampitheatre, Coronation Durbar, Delhi, Harnam Dass & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1388, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar Post Office, Delhi, Harnam Dass & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1387, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Durbar Post Office, Delhi, Harnam Dass & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1387, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Imperial Procession Passing Jama Masjid, Delhi, Harnam Dass & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1386, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• State Departure, Harnam Dass & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1394, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• State Departure, Harnam Dass & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1394, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Coronation Day, Delhi Durbar, Harnam Dass & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1393, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Proclamation Pavilion, Amphitheatre, Coronation Durbar, Delhi, Moorli Dhur & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1391, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Amphitheatre, Coronation Durbar, Delhi, Moorli Dhur & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1388, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• General View of Delhi Durbar Camp, Moorli Dhur & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1389, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Kingsway - Coronation Durbar, Delhi, Moorli Dhur & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1385, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• Laying foundation Stone of King Edward Memorial, Delhi, Moorli Dhur & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1528, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
• "Kingsway" Delhi, Moorli Dhur & Sons, Ambala, numbered 1377, circa 1911, colour postcard, divided back, 5.5 x 3.5 in (14 x 9 cm)
The Delhi Durbar was a grand ceremonial event held three times during British rule in India—in 1877, 1903, and 1911—to mark significant royal milestones. These events, showcasing the might of the British Empire, were widely commemorated through various memorabilia, including postcards, which became highly collectible.
There were different types of postcards related to the Delhi Durbar.
1. 1877 Delhi Durbar (Proclamation Durbar) Postcards.
The 1877 Durbar marked Queen Victoria’s proclamation as Empress of India. Few contemporary postcards exist, as the picture postcard era began later. However, later reproductions, lithographs, and engravings depict scenes from the event. Common motifs included Lord Lytton reading the proclamation, Indian princes assembled, and allegorical depictions of British imperial rule.
2. 1903 Delhi Durbar (Edward VII Coronation Durbar) Postcards.
The 1903 Durbar, held under Lord Curzon, was widely celebrated in the golden age of postcards. Photographic and lithographic postcards were produced, depicting:
State Procession: Elephant processions, especially Curzon’s magnificent silver-howdah elephant.
Royal Guests: Portraits of Indian princes, including the Maharajas of Mysore, Gwalior, and Jaipur.
Military Displays: British and Indian troops in elaborate uniforms.
Medals & Souvenirs: Postcards featuring commemorative medals and Durbar pavilions.
Publishers such as Ravi Varma Press, Raphael Tuck & Sons, and Higginbotham & Co. printed high-quality color postcards.
3. 1911 Delhi Durbar (George V Coronation Durbar) Postcards.
This Durbar was the most photographed and widely documented in postcard form. Notable subjects on postcards include:
King George V and Queen Mary’s arrival in India.
The Coronation Pavilion in Delhi, where the King personally received homage.
Processions with Indian nobility in regal attire.
The announcement of the capital shift from Calcutta to Delhi was a historic moment captured in imagery.
Military reviews and mass parades.
Some postcards were hand-tinted, enhancing their collectability. Hand-colored and embossed postcards from the 1903 and 1911 Durbars are highly sought after. Real photographic postcards (RPPCs) by British photographers such as Lala Deen Dayal are rare and valuable. Postcards depicting the capital shift announcement (1911) hold historical significance. Series from Raphael Tuck & Sons are among the most widely collected due to their artistic quality.
Delhi Durbar postcards serve as historical artifacts that visually document British imperial pomp and grandeur in India. They remain highly collectible for their artistic and historical value, offering insight into colonial-era propaganda, Indian royal pageantry, and early 20th-century photographic techniques.
Delhi Durbar postcards are exquisite relics of British India’s grand imperial ceremonies, capturing the pageantry of the 1877, 1903, and 1911 Durbars. These rare collectible postcards are not just souvenirs but historical treasures. Whether depicting Lord Curzon’s opulent processions or King George V’s coronation pavilion, they remain a fascinating window into colonial grandeur and early 20th-century visual storytelling.
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