This week the political climate in Nepal changed dramatically as King Gyanendra placed the prime minister and members of the cabinet under house arrest, and then proceeded to declare a state of emergency. Shortly after this action was taken, flights to the capital city of Kathmandu were cancelled, phone lines were cut, and Nepal's press was censored. The king faces a rather difficult battle, as...

In 1907, Mary Binney Wheeler was born into a prominent Philadelphia family. She was quite talented in the musical and terpsichorean arts; at the age of 17, she performed at Carnegie Hall as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Later in life, she developed a deep and abiding interest in South Asian art and culture. Over the course of 14 trips to the area, she took over 9,000 photographs in...