Fascinating Bucks pictures discovered

1:56pm Tuesday 14th October 2008

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FOUR mysterious boxes of glass plates – the forerunner of film photographs – appeared at the Midweek offices last week.

An excited news team opened the boxes labelled Ancient Victorian Plates to find scores of images, some of apparent family groups, portraits and scenes recording sites which may have disappeared forever under new developments.

Whatever their history, they will be treasured under the umbrella of SWOP – an internet archive of pictures run by volunteers through High Wycombe library.

The glasses were dropped off by a mystery man following an appeal by Midweek’s sister paper the South Bucks Star in which editor Steve Cohen appealed for any languishing, unwanted pictures to be passed on and to be included in the archive.

Mike Dewey who helps to run SWOP welcomed the addition to the picture archives. However, Midweek has yet to identify where, when and who took these photographs and is appealing for the mystery donor to step forward and help with some information.

In the meantime, here are some of the images for readers to enjoy and perhaps recognise – are there any you have seen before? If you have please contact us so we can piece together the picture puzzle.

Anyone with information should call Mike Dewey on 01494 755105 or 01628 525207 or e-mail jnadal@london.newsquest.co.uk.