Gloucester pioneering aerial photographer celebrated

The Harold Wingham collection comprises almost 2,000 aerial pictures such as this one of Tewkesbury Abbey in Gloucestershire

A collection of images taken by a pioneering aerial photographer has been made available online to the public for the first time.

Harold Wingham began capturing images from flights across the south-west in the 1950s.

The aerial photographs and negatives were retained in Historic England's archive.

Wingham, who lived in Cranham in Gloucestershire, died in 2021 after a long career in aviation.

Born in the New Forest in 1924, Wingham served in the RAF as a wireless operator and trainee navigator.

Wingham was born in the New Forest in 1924 during World War Two

After the war, he compiled weather reports for the Ministry of Civil Aviation in Gloucester and later worked for the Gloster Aircraft Company.

He took flying lessons and learned photography so that he could carry out aerial reconnaissance for archaeological purposes.

Wingham took thousands of images such as this one of Gloucester Cathedral

To commemorate his life and work, Historic England has collaborated with some of Wingham's friends and associates to create three online displays.

Katy Groves, from Historic England, said: "There is a timeless quality to his photography that just makes his material stand out."

Wingham's flights covered the south west, where he took this photograph of St Michael's Mount, Cornwall

Consisting of almost 2,000 photographic negatives and corresponding prints, the Harold Wingham Collection is divided into 86 flights flown between April 1951 and July 1963.

The collection showcases a mix of architectural, archaeological and industrial subjects and views of villages and towns in the early post-war period, offering a unique insight into the changing landscape of the region.

Wingham used hand-held aerial reconnaissance cameras, which could produce images with excellent resolution, enabling him to capture quality detail in his photography.

He bought surplus Government camera equipment and film and began recording the archaeology and architecture of the West Country.

His flights covered sites in Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Wiltshire.