'I used beer and vitamin C to reveal forgotten family photos'

'I used beer and vitamin C to reveal forgotten family photos'

Photographer Wayne Large’s acquisition of his coveted Rolleiflex camera turned into a journey back in time when he discovered a roll of old film inside the vintage device. These film rolls contained black-and-white photos of two men taken decades ago, sparking Wayne’s curiosity and determination to develop them. The outdated film required an unconventional developing process involving beer and vitamin C powder, leading to the long-lost photos being reunited with the family of the two men.

Wayne, a documentary photographer from Leicester, stumbled upon the vintage camera at Churchgate Auctions and purchased it, unaware of the hidden treasures inside. The film found in the camera was believed to be at least 50 years old, dating back to the mid-60s to early-70s. In order to reveal the images, Wayne had to experiment with the Beerenol process, a developing method using beer, washing soda, iodised salt, and vitamin C powder.

After successfully recovering the images, Wayne shared them on social media and contacted the auctioneers to track down the original owners. Within a short period of time, he received a call from Nisha, the daughter of one of the men in the photos. Nisha recognized her late father Shusheel and her uncle Anil in the photos and shared some heartwarming memories of the camera that had belonged to her great-uncle.

The emotional reunion of the photos with the family brought a sense of closure and nostalgia for Wayne, who considers it a privilege to have been the first to see these moments captured in time. As a member of the steering group at Leicester’s Social Gallery, Wayne hopes to encourage others to submit forgotten film for potential discovery, preservation, and future exhibitions. The untold stories revealed in these forgotten images serve as valuable glimpses of history waiting to be shared and cherished by generations to come

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