Resting in a loft, in a stables somewhere in South Wales, were a collection of nearly 50 glass plate negatives. These images (each about 7"x5") have been dated by family members to around 1910, and contain family portraits and pictures of industrial locations around the South Wales area.

Due to their age, the negatives have deteriorated badly, many affected by damp and corrosion, but the images themselves hold a fascination. Who were these people? Was this a commissioned group of portraits? What was the significance of the factories and works photographed? Who was the photographer?

Over the coming months I'll add to this page as I discover more about the people involved, and return to some of the locations in the pictures to photograph what is there now and see how the landscape has changed.


As I slowly uncover the story behind these pictures, I'll post updates on this page, but in the meantime, if you recognise any of the people or locations shown, please get in touch at info@billcropper.com

A big thank you to Sandra Jones for giving me access to this fantastic resource!

Glass Negative Gallery - This is a full set of the images found. Please excuse the image quality, but as the negatives get cleaned and restored, I'll update the gallery.