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A striking early 20th century postcard documenting cocoa harvest labor in Trinidad, published by Smith Bros. & Co. of Port of Spain, Trinidad under their “The Bonanza” imprint and printed in England — dating this card to approximately 1905–1915.
The image is exceptional: roughly ten workers — men, women, and children — are gathered around an enormous mound of freshly harvested cocoa pods in a plantation grove. Several sit sorting pods into wicker baskets while others stand over the heap. Wide-brim hats, loose white work dress, and the dappled canopy of cocoa trees overhead create a composition that is both documentary and visually commanding.
Trinidad was one of the premier cocoa-producing islands in the British Caribbean at this period, and images of plantation harvest labor from this era are actively sought by collectors of Caribbean history, colonial-era photography, agricultural history, and postcard enthusiasts specializing in the West Indies. Smith Bros. & Co. was a prominent Port of Spain stationer and publisher whose cards documented Trinidadian life across this period.
Unused, no address or message. Some light wear to edges consistent with age. A rare and historically significant subject in very presentable condition.
