Cumbria exhibition showcases scenes of winters past

A game of curling on the frozen-over steelworks reservoir in Ormsgill between 1908 and 1915

Winter scenes dating back to the early decades of the 20th century are being showcased in an online exhibition.

Edward Sankey and his sons Raymond and Eric ran a photographic business in Barrow, Cumbria, from the late 1890s to the early 1960s.

They took thousands of images around the area, which volunteers from a film charity have been collating.

Some of the photos focussing on winter form the basis of an exhibition which can be viewed online until 28 February.

Heavy snowfall had be be cleared on Duke Street during one of the winters in the early 1900s

Over the past year a group of 20 volunteers have been working with the charity Signal Film and Media to uncover previously-unseen images from the Sankey collection.

Skiers at Esk Hause in the Western fells

The photographs offer an insight into people's lives during the winter what were often long and hard winters.

They were often taken in very tricky weather conditions, demonstrating how determined and innovative the Sankeys were.

A frozen fountain caught the photographer's eye in 1915

Some of the scenes show people taking advantage of the cold weather - skating on iced-over ponds, or taking part in a game of curling.

There is even an image of skiers, an activity which was something or a rarity in the Lake District due to the lack of ski-lifts and generally unpredictable snow cover.

In 1925 the lake in Barrow park froze and people went skating, although not everyone was equipped with skates

Project manager Julia Parks said: "The Sankey Family Photography Collection is a unique record of Barrow's history, capturing the major events, people and places from all over the town.

"Our winter show brings together Sankey's snowy vision, we wanted to offer something uplifting during what has been a hard year."

A view of the Scafell Range from Great-Gable in the 1950s