The Library of Congress is America's largest library, and is home to an enormous collection of visual imagery. There is a wide variety of material available from the subcontinent, including albumen photographs, stereoscope views, magic lantern slides, prints and other material often not collected by other archives.

The online catalog lists over half a million items, and is well worth a careful search for the unusual albums and records it turns up. Many are by Americans who spent time in India before Independence. Many items, like William Henry Jackson's 1895 magic lantern slides of India have ended up here, as well as unique missionary materials as well as archival film and sound recordings.

The Library maintains an efficient reproduction service, so that most items identified in the catalog can be ordered in various formats.

The photograph above, Darjeeling, bridge over the Rungroo is by Samuel Bourne, 1860s.

• USA