How Raphael Tuck & Sons captured Agra’s timeless allure for the world

While researching for my previous essay, Agra | The Romance of Yesteryears, I stumbled upon a fascinating visual archive, a collection of postcards published by Raphael Tuck & Sons.

Once celebrated as the world’s leading postcard publisher, the company produced vivid images of cities and landmarks from across the globe, offering viewers an intimate glimpse into life during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Even after their closure in 1959, Tuck cards have continued to hold a special place in the world of collectors, forming an entire subcategory of postcard collecting on their own.

A brief history

Raphael Tuck founded his company in London in 1866, laying the groundwork for what would soon become a pioneer in the field of illustrated publishing. Though the firm initially produced a wide range of printed materials, from art prints to children’s books, it was their postcards that eventually captured the public imagination.

The rise of Tuck & Sons mirrored the transformations of the industrial age. As printing technologies advanced and travel became more accessible, the humble postcard evolved into both a keepsake and a cultural artifact. Tuck capitalised on this moment, experimenting with printing techniques and commissioning artists whose work brought an aesthetic depth to everyday correspondence.

To achieve the finest quality, much of the printing was done in Germany, then renowned for its expertise in color lithography. German printers and engravers perfected the tones and textures that made Tuck’s postcards so distinctive; vibrant yet delicate, richly detailed yet accessible to a global audience.

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Here are a few of their Agra postcards that especially caught my eye as little windows into how the city was imagined and remembered more than a century ago.