Date of use : 1910, Zanzibar

De Lord's Photography Studio Postcard, Zanzibar

This postcard originates from the island of Zanzibar and represents an early twentieth-century example of colonial-era visual communication linking East Africa with Europe. The front of the card depicts a street scene in the city of Zanzibar, today known as Stone Town. The printed caption identifies the location as "Zanzibar. Post Offices next of De Lord's Stores," indicating that the image shows an area situated near the local post office and a commercial establishment operated by De Lord. Visible signage within the image reads "Delords Photo Studio and Fine Art Stores," suggesting that the photograph used for the postcard may have been produced or distributed by a photographic studio operating in the area. Such establishments frequently functioned as both photographic studios and retail shops offering postcards, prints, and artistic souvenirs to visitors.

During the nineteenth century Zanzibar developed into a major commercial hub within the Indian Ocean trading network. The island was internationally known for its clove production and served as a center of maritime commerce linking the East African coast with Arabia, India, and Europe. In 1890 the Sultanate of Zanzibar became a British protectorate, a political arrangement that integrated the island more closely into imperial administrative and commercial systems. Within this colonial environment photographic studios and postcard publishers emerged as part of the broader tourist and commercial economy. These enterprises documented urban landscapes, architectural scenes, and everyday life, distributing the resulting images as postcards intended for European audiences.

The reverse side of the card displays postage stamps and cancellation marks indicating that the postcard was mailed through the postal system of Zanzibar. Two three-cent Zanzibar stamps bearing the portrait of the ruling sultan are affixed to the card. These issues formed part of the postal system operating under British influence during the early twentieth century. The cancellation marks suggest that the item was processed around 1910, a period when Zanzibar maintained regular postal connections with Europe through maritime routes across the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. The presence of a Paris destination illustrates the integration of colonial territories into global communication networks maintained by imperial postal systems.

The card is addressed to William Bowmet at 117 Rue de la Glacière in Paris, a residential street located in the southern districts of the French capital. Although the profession of the recipient is not indicated, postcards of this type were commonly sent by travelers, merchants, or colonial officials to acquaintances in Europe. The handwritten message on the card appears to describe the sender's impressions of travel along the East African coast, indicating that the sender may have been engaged in a journey through the region.

The publisher's imprint on the reverse side reads "A. C. P. de Lord, Zanzibar." This notation suggests that the postcard was issued by a business operated by De Lord, which likely functioned as both a photographic studio and a retail outlet for artistic prints and postcards. In colonial port cities such enterprises often served visiting travelers and expatriate communities by providing visual souvenirs that circulated internationally through the postal system.

From a collecting perspective, this postcard can be classified within several thematic fields. It represents a piece of Zanzibar postal history and also belongs to the broader category of colonial postcard production in East Africa. The photographic image of the street scene provides valuable visual documentation of the urban environment of Stone Town in the early twentieth century. Consequently, the item holds significance not only for philatelic collectors but also for researchers interested in colonial urban history and the visual culture of imperial trade networks.

Translation of the Text on the Card

Dear Uncle,

I am writing you a few lines from Zanzibar.
The weather here is very hot.
On January 29 we are leaving for Mombasa.
The journey we are making along the coast is very interesting.
I hope to hear from you soon.
I send you my best regards.

This item is documented as part of the Photography in Postal History research project.
For research context, see the Research Methodology.
For academic reference, please refer to How to Cite This Archive.