Who are they? Mystery over family photos left in Wolverhampton charity shop camera
A man who bought a camera from a Wolverhampton charity shop was "amazed" to discover pictures of a family taken almost 60 years ago.
Rupert Brun bought the Zeiss Ikon last month from Compton Care for £135, though the camera enthusiast believes it would have cost around £880 when it was made between 1951 and 1953.
Inside the camera was a roll of film, which Rupert developed to find four pictures featuring the same family and what is presumed to be their car, as well as one of a woman standing in front of Warwick Castle.
The 63-year-old used the photographs to discover which year they were likely to have been taken, as many featured a Mini with a number plate that was registered to an address in Wolverhampton in 1965.
Rupert, who has been taking pictures as a hobby since he was five, said: "It intrigued me really because it was quite an expensive camera back in the day and you only have eight pictures on a roll of film of this kind, and they had taken five and wound it up to take a sixth.
"It's quite a sad story really, I can't help feeling there is a personal tragedy in here. Why didn't someone connected to the family get the film developed? – It's a real mystery.
"Because there were a few pictures of the Mini I assumed it was a new car and that's why they were taking pictures of it, so I looked it up online to see where it was registered and when.
"I didn't know I would get any pictures at all as the camera had been opened and light had gotten in, but when I finished developing it and took out the roll of film and held it up, I was amazed to find out there were pictures.
"I was really excited but saddened because I can't help feeling that something unfortunate had happened to this gentleman – as I'm guessing it was the father of the family who took the pictures – because why on earth wouldn't you shoot the last pictures?"
Rupert, from Kent, is now hoping to discover who the youngsters are in the photographs and has said he would "love" to reunite the old pictures with the family members.
He added: "I suspect the children were seven or nine years old in the pictures so they are going to be in their mid-to-late 60s maybe now.
"I just think it would be lovely to let them see the pictures taken of them 58 years ago and to find out a little bit about them and who this mystery woman is standing outside Warwick Castle.
"Firstly it's my curiosity and I'm just being nosey but also I would love to be able to give them these pictures."
