An old postcard illustrated with two Kikuyu warriors in Kenya, sent in 1934 from Mombasa.
On the front, a typical ethnographic photograph from the colonial era, captioned “Kikuyu Warriors, Kenya”.
On the back, a handwritten correspondence dated September 26, 1934, addressed to Mr. Émile Hanay, B.C.K., Élisabethville (Belgian Congo).
The initials B.C.K. refer to the Compagnie du Chemin de fer du Bas-Congo au Katanga (Lower Congo to Katanga Railway Company), a Belgian company that operated the strategic railway lines connecting the port of Matadi to the mining areas of Katanga. This detail adds an extra historical dimension to the card, linked to the colonial and economic networks of the time.
The card is stamped with a red stamp bearing the effigy of King George V (Kenya & Uganda, 15 cents), with a clearly legible Mombasa postmark.
🔹 Period: 1934
🔹 Location: Mombasa, British Kenya
🔹 Subject: ethnography – Kikuyu warriors 🔹Dimensions: +/- 13.8 cm x 8.8 cm
🔹 Postage: 15c stamp Kenya & Uganda (George V) – cancelled
🔹 Recipient: Émile Hanay, employee of B.C.K. (Lower Congo to Katanga Railway), Élisabethville
🔹 Condition: good overall condition, legible handwritten correspondence, slight signs of use
This 1934 postcard is an authentic, colonial, and ethnographic piece, telling both a personal story (the journey) and the historical context (British Kenya and the colonial empire), an interesting item for collectors.
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