In late 1999, an archivist at Indiana University made an extraordinary discovery. Among items marked for disposal were dusty suitcases filled with thousands of stunning color slides, some dating back nearly seven decades. These 14,500 images were the life's work of Charles W. Cushman, an Indiana University alumnus and photographer, who had left the collection to the university after his death in 1972.

India has long proven fertile ground for photographers, over the years, attracting some of the most iconic names from across the globe and birthing many others. The images they captured, display the country's changing physiognomy through the ages, and together, convey its distinct, captivating essence.