John Falconer

Curator, Photographs, India Office Collection

The British Library’s collection of prints, drawings and photographs from the Indian subcontinent and its surrounding territories is one of the world’s greatest visual records of the cultural history of South Asia from the late-18th to the mid-20th century. Rich in artistic merit and unrivalled in its survey of topography and social customs, the collection reflects the way artists, Indian and European, rose to the challenge of documenting a land of endless variety and fascination.

Here are almost 15,000 of the collection’s finest images. We focus on the artists and photographers whose work provides a comprehensive account of the landscapes and architectural heritage of South Asia.

Read the full curator's introduction