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Mailed from Benares (Varanasi) on September 29, 1886, this 1½ Anna Queen Victoria postal card followed the Universal Postal Union route through Bombay, Paris, and New York before arriving in Beaver, Pennsylvania, home of Beaver College (now Arcadia University). The card was addressed to a Miss Julia E. Taylor, likely a student — making this an early example of international mail addressed to a young American woman studying in a small-town liberal arts college.
For postal historians, this card demonstrates a complete and legible progression through three major exchange offices, representing how India’s late-Victorian correspondence moved through the UPU network. The “First Delivery Benares” strike and Bombay Foreign Office cancel are particularly desirable, showing precise routing and handling within the British Indian postal system.
The sender’s mention of Lord Cornwallis’s grave in nearby Ghazipur provides geographic specificity — tying the card to a known British memorial site in northern India — and enhances its cultural depth. Together, the combination of a clear postal trail, educational recipient, and personal commentary creates a highly collectible piece for those specializing in India–U.S. 19th-century routes or UPU-era postal stationery.My best attempt at the message:
We reached here in due season. Were kindly welcomed by our friends and are very happy, barring the heat. It is much worse than A. We are going in a short time to visit Lord Cornwallis’s grave. I hope my thoughts will be duly respectful. This is a great place for making rosewater; there are great gardens but nothing to see as the flowers are all picked as buds. I hope I will get nice letters from you all on my return home.
Bhinghipur, Sept. 28, 1886
Faithfully, Teddie
Zoom in on photos as they are considered part of the description.
Under $20:Ships via USPS Standard Envelope in rigid mailer.Over $20:USPS Ground Advantage, full tracking, sturdy packaging, you only pay actual shipping costs.International:Untracked service by default for <$20 cards; tracked options for >$20.Options:Buyer can always choose alternative shipping methods at calculated cost.Note: Standard Envelope may showdeliveredat your post office, not your mailbox. Contact me if there\'s a delay of more than 5 business days past expected date.Happy collecting! Thanks for shopping Velvet Moon!
