Okehampton Town Councillor Jan Goffey presented the town council with an original Francis Frith photograph of Okehampton town centre last week.

The photograph, which was discovered by Cllr Goffey, is still fitted in the original frame and dates from the late 1800s depicting Fore Street and the town hall in the foreground.

Cllr Goffey said: ‘It’s in the original frame and on the back is the Frith number. Because it’s the original, the picture is actually quite clear and I thought it would be so nice to get our hands on an original.’

The council has yet to decide (check that they haven’t decided where to put it by publication) where to hang the photograph as it will need to be placed out of direct sunlight to prevent the image from fading.

Francis Frith was a well-known photographer in the 19th century. He set up Francis Frith & Co in 1859 with the aim of recording everyday life in towns and cities across Britain.