A black and white studio portrait photograph of a bare-chested, crouching South Asian man.
He wears a loincloth, a cap on his head and a bracelet on his right wrist, possibly accompanied by a kautuka (ritual protection thread). He also has a moustache. He is facing to the right of the frame, resting his arms on his thighs. Original caption [derogatory]: ‘Indian Coolie Man’.

'Coolie' was a label used to describe low-paid Asian labourers, including the thousands of indentured South Asian labourers transported overseas by the British. The word is now considered derogatory (although it is still used in parts of South Asia and the Caribbean). This photograph was almost certainly taken in a commercial photography studio. It is possible that the man shown was casually labelled as a 'coolie' by the photographer or album compiler for convenience.