This photo was taken in the Meghraj Cabaret, in Bombay, India in 1984, Credit: Mitch Epstein/Science Museum, courtesy of Galerie Thomas Zander, Köln

The Science Museum has just opened its new photographic exhibition, Illuminating India, to mark 70 years of independence in India.

Featuring photographs from 1857 up to 2017, the exhibition includes several original photographs seen in the UK for the first time.

The collection is part of a bigger season of public events, including a screening of Slumdog Millionaire featuring a Q&A with Danny Boyle.

Museum director Ian Blatchford said of the exhibition: “India’s history and culture are built on a rich tradition of scientific thought and innovation.

“The stories we will be showcasing through this vibrant season not only shaped India but had global significance.”

Credit: Werner Bischof/Magnum Photos

The above example from the collection shows employees of the Tata Iron and Steel Company on their way to work in the Indian town of Jamshedpur in 1951.

The exhibition also includes photos from India’s first known photographer, Ahmad Ali Khan, alongside a number of photos focusing around colonisation and independence.

It will also survey the technological development of photography in India, tracing the medium from its beginnings with fragile salt prints as well as digital imagery on display.

Credit: Shapoor N. Bhedwar/Alkazi Foundation for the Arts

This striking photo is called ‘The Mystic Sign’ and was taken by India photographer Shapoor N. Bhedwar in 1890.

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See some more photographs taken from the exhibit below.

Illuminating India runs from October 4 2017 to March 31 2018 at the Science Museum in South Kensington. The exhibition is free of charge.

This photo entitled Boy Playing Girl, was taken in Janakpur, Nepal in 2016, Credit: Vasantha Yogananthan

This photo shows the wedding portrait of an Indian couple, dated between 1920-40 – Credit: Alkazi Foundation for the Arts

This image is taken from photo project Sweet Life, which focuses on the photographers family life, Credit: Sohrab Hura

Taken in Punjab, Kurukshetra in 1947, this photo documents refugees exercising to drive away lethargy and despair, Credit: Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos