Portraits from the past

A pictorial presentation of 19th century Parsis dressed in their distinctive garb

These extracts appeared in Typical Pictures of Indian Natives, being representations from specially prepared hand-colored photographs with descriptive letterpress by F. M. Coleman, printed in 1897. Coleman, general manager, Times of India, explains in his introduction: "The ‘Gorgeous East,’ if robbed of the vivid coloring which is its greatest charm, would cease to please… (This book is prepared) to enable travelers to present to their friends at home a true rendering of the varied and picturesque costumes worn by natives of India.” There are photographs and descriptions of all the "native” communities. Three pertaining to the Parsis are reprinted here.           ......



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