A local historian’s collection of historic postcards from the height of the tram era show the streets of Britain just before the start of the automobile revolution.
Many capture outlying villages, which were never or only very rarely photographed at the time.
The collection of more than 5,000 unseen and antique postcards belonged to a man who was known for writing books on local history and have just been sold at auction.
The historian collected the postcards documenting life in his home city for more than a century.
The images are from all over Bristol and surrounding areas – many of which have never been seen since they were first published in the early 20th century.
The entire collection sold at East Bristol Auctions for £10,000.
Valuer Kieran Lynch said: “These postcards offer a real snapshot into the history of our city, particularly the more rural areas where photographs are often very hard to find.
“When photography was popular, everyone took pictures of the famous landmarks or scenes – those quaint, small villages were often missed out.
“What particularly stood out in the collection were several albums that show Bristol’s early trams.
“Trams were such a big part of our city, but they’ve all but been forgotten.
“These photographs are very likely the only lasting memory that remains of these wonderful vehicles.”
Real photographic postcards in the early 20th century were very often produced locally and in very small numbers.
SWNS
