A collection of photographs dating back 100 years and many of the Falmouth area, has been made available to the public for the first time.

The photographs, many of which were taken in 1907, offer a snapshot of Cornish life a century ago and demonstrate how towns and landscapes have changed over the years.

There is even a chance that a Packet reader may help with more information about some of the pictures, not least one in Falmouth of Mrs. Bailey's Pie Shop, where local residents would treat themselves to a traditional hot pastry. Today, that same Falmouth address is a Chinese takeaway serving everything from prawn crackers to Peking duck!

Another picture shows a Mrs and Miss Lean, possible mother and daughter, and relatives of the couple could still be living in the town.

Known as the Alfred Newton and Son collection of photographs these are some of many now available on English Heritage's Viewfinder' website (http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/Viewfinder).

Alfred Newton and Son was a family photography firm best known for recording the building of the Great Central Railway (1894-1899). They took just over 600 photographs in Cornwall and snapped everything from street scenes to family portraits and captured some of the region's famous sights including Truro Cathedral, the Royal Albert Bridge and Boscastle, Newlyn, Mousehole and St. Ives harbours.

The collection provides photographic evidence of how dramatically Cornwall has changed over the last century, but a number of images also demonstrate how some things remain the same.

Simon Thompson, marketing manager at the National Monuments Record said: "The addition of these fascinating photographs to our website means they're now easily accessible to the public, who can browse through them free of charge and use them for a variety of reasons, whether it's for work, education or pleasure. They're particularly in demand due to the growing interest in social history and genealogy, and an increasing number of people are using our resources to try and track down images of where their ancestors lived, worked and holidayed."

The Packet has just published its own series of old photographs. Step Back In Time, a free publication by the publishers of the Packet, takes a nostalgic photographic look at West Cornwall. Copies are still available via newsagents and from the Packet offices at Falmouth Business Park, Bickland Water Road, Falmouth, TR11 4SZ.

Have you a nostaligic picture you would like to share and help build up an archive of photographers from the area? E.mail it to the Packet at editorial@packetseries.co.uk in jpg format together with your name and address.