World War II, which bankrupted Britain despite its victory, spelled the beginning of the end for British imperium. India became independent in 1947 following Mahatma Gandhi's famous nonviolent civil disobedience campaign, and by 1967 more than 20 former British territories were independent. Today, sites like the British Residency in Lucknow, India – once home to the British High Commissioner – are a crumbling reminder of a bygone age of imperial control.

Read on to discover the earliest photos ever taken in the UK

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