AN HISTORIAN with a jumbo collection of over 1,000 photographs is calling for help to find out more about his latest acquisitions.

Brian Hall from Bedale has a huge collection of photographs dating from 1790, and has just been left a series of photographs of the town’s market place, one has an elephant and another a clown with a monkey and pony. He believes they’re from just after the end of the war.

He added: “I really am desperate to find out more about these. I believe they’re connected to a circus which used to visit Northallerton and take centre stage in the High Street. In Bedale we had a lion tamer called Pom Pom Jackson who I think used to insist when the circus was on the doorstep that they had to come to Bedale.

“Then, of course, it was a huge attraction because elephants and circus animals were so rarely seen.

"It would be brilliant if anyone remembers this, I would really love to find out more."

Mr Hall said he was keen to share the photographs with a wider audience.

"I was given them, very kindly, by the sister of a lady who died," he said.

“But I have a huge collection and they need to be seen, so I am happy to play host to people who may want to see them, or can get together to organise an event to give them a bigger showcase.”

He has already been involved in producing a special book, Reflections of Bedale, which sold out the 1800 copies produced and featured many of the photographs people had contributed and which he had collected over the years.

“It’s a real living history of this area, Bedale and Aiskew and the villages around, and while there have been huge changes, many things have stayed the same. It also illustrates the stories of so many people, whose families are still a big part of the area. That is why I want to share the photographs with as many people as possible.”

Mr Hall can be contacted through Bedale Tourist Information Centre on 01677-424604.