Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), governmental organization, established in 1870, dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the archaeological antiquities of India. Its first director, Major-General Alexander Cunningham, encouraged the use of photography as a tool for recording and preserving. Significant work was produced by Cunningham's assistant J. D. Beglar (1845-1907), but Cunningham also purchased work by commercial studios and amateur photographers such as Robert Gill. Some photographs were specially commissioned, following lists of significant sites drawn up by the Scottish architectural historian James Fergusson. Cunningham's successor, James Burgess, also regarded photography as an integral part of the ASI's work, issuing progress reports illustrated with photographs in the 1870s. During the 19th century, the photographs acquired by the ASI were collected at the India Museum in London. Today this substantial collection survives in the British Library. The collection also incorporates work by earlier photographers such as Linnaeus Tripe. The early 20th century saw a shift away from picturesque views of antiquities towards a more scientific documentation of the archaeological process under director John Marshall. These photographs are also preserved in the British Library. The photographic archive of the post-1948 ASI is held in New Delhi.
— Sophie C. Gordon
See also archaeology and photography.
