A photo mystery was sparked by a 100-year-old camera found in an antiques shop. Oliver Barnes was amazed to discover that the No 1 Pocket Kodak camera he had purchased had used film inside.
He raced to get it developed – and the images showed what appeared to be a crowd of people on a British high street in the 1950s and two gentlemen on a bridge.
After sharing the images on social media and conducting his own research, Mr Barnes determined that the crowd photos were taken outside The Portcullis, a hotel in South Gloucestershire. Included in the photos are dozens of well-dressed people congregating around the entrance of a hotel, with classic cars parked outside. Across the street, what seems to be a television camera crew is filming the scene.
Mr Barnes believes some of the photos were taken in 1948 when residents in the village of Westerleigh gathered to welcome the Good family’s new quadruplets in 1948. However one mystery still remains.
Mr Barnes, 20, said: “We’ve had all sorts of people coming up with speculation and different ideas of what it might be. I’m so happy I’ve gone through this journey of digging out what the event was.
“I was so worried I had exposed the film because they are very, very light sensitive. The camera is 100 years old, so I wasn’t expecting the film to come out of it. I’ll always get a different kind of thrill from film photos than I do from digital photos, it’s a chemical experience I can’t really explain.”
He still hopes to find answers over the two gentlemen pictured on the bridge in the other photo.
Ian Scott, general manager of Salisbury Photo Centre, where the film was developed, said: “It’s nice to see the enthusiasm of a youngster buying this camera and getting it developed. Nobody had opened the camera and ruined the film in 70 years, which is incredible.
“We’re keen to solve the second mystery of who the two men in the photo are and where exactly it was taken, so urge anyone who thinks they might know to get in touch.”