A new BBC documentary was shown that highlighted the photography done by Mary Alice Young over 100 years ago, a pioneer in early photography. Almost 50 boxes of glass plates are being meticulously restored and digitised after they were discovered in the Public Records Office Northern Ireland (PRONI) and give a unique insight into our past.

The rediscovered images have caught the eyes of historians interested in culture and identity in Northern Ireland during the 19th and 20th centuries. The unique collection of images was discovered alongside other items bequeathed there for safekeeping by Mary Alice’s family many years ago.

 Imagine Media an award winning local Belfast based production company was tasked with producing the documentary and I was asked to come on board in a minor capacity to colourise some of the images to show what they would be like in colour.

Many thanks to Stephen Watson the producer, Mal Marken Director & Head of Post-Production and Suzanne McNally - Post Production Supervisor for bringing me on board and allowing me the freedom to explore an area of photography I hadn't dealt with before  glass plates and explore the possibility of colour in that medium. Over the next few pages I will show you the images I was asked to do but only some made it to the final programme.

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