Henry Cousens

[1][4][5] These were praised as of high quality, "beautiful photographs of temples and mosques", and important contributions by his peers:[6][7][8] Henry Cousens’s Photographic Achievements By the end of the nineteenth century, the importance of comprehensive visual documentation produced to rigorous standards was becoming recognized by a few farsighted individuals, most notably Henry Cousens in his work at the great Buddhist stupa at Sanchi, some 40 kilometers from Bhopal, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

This task, which took Cousens and his team of assistants over two months to complete and which resulted in a collection of over 250 large-format negatives, remains a model of its kind.

While such an approach has historically been the exception rather than the rule, it remains an enduring model of photography’s unique value as a tool of record in its comprehensive scale, carefully planned organization, and technical quality.

According to John Marshall, Cousens' success at the Archeological department brought his team added responsibilities where the British India government sought to preserve the local heritage, its ancient monuments and further explore buried remains.

Cousens effort helped clean up, restore and start this process of preserving India's heritage in Sindh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.