North Hertfordshire Museum's new photography exhibition offers a glimpse into the lives of people from Hitchin and surrounding areas in bygone times.

Frozen In Time – Early Photographs of North Herts features a series of 48 photographs of in Victorian and Edwardian times from the museum's collections.

The fascinating images of Hitchin and other villages in the district offer a snapshot into the daily lives of people who lived and worked there during those eras.

Images featured include a photograph of Albert Nicholls (1862-1921) and his wife Elizabeth (1862-1940) outside their fruiterer's and florist's shop at 22 High Street, Hitchin, taken around 1900.

Elizabeth was a member of the Gatward family, who still have a presence in Hitchin - they own Gatward's jewellers on the corner of Hitchin's Market Place.

Other photographs include Barley Supply Stores from about 1910, a one-stop shop where you could buy anything from shoes to chocolate, medicines to rugs.

There is also a photo of Katherine Francis, who was the postal delivery woman in Hexton during the Second World War.

A photograph of the bookstall at Hitchin Station, photographed in July 1881, shows the proprietor, Mr Pink, while Jack Wedd, the licensee of The Cooper's Arms, stands on the stairs to a footbridge behind, which was taken down in 1910.

Councillor Keith Hoskins, NHDC Executive Member for Enterprise and Co-operative Development said: "This exhibition allows you to truly step back in time.

"It gives you the opportunity to see how our villages and towns have changed, and how the lives of those that live here have too.

"Short of having a time machine, they offer a fascinating journey into the past and we encourage people to visit and see these photographs for themselves."

The exhibition will run until January 31, 2021, is free to visit and open from 1030am to 4pm Tuesday to Saturday, and Sunday 11am to 3pm.

Refreshments and a gift shop are available at the museum located at 14 Brand Street, Hitchin - which operates a one-way system to ensure social distancing.

Visitors are asked to wear facemasks when at the museum and hand sanitiser will be available.