'That's us!' Mystery solved over family in photos found in a Wolverhampton charity shop camera
The story about a man who bought a camera from a Wolverhampton charity shop has developed – as the family featured in the snaps have come forward.
Karen Thorneycroft and Mark Whitehouse have identified themselves as the children in a series of photographs found on a roll of film left in the camera.
Rupert Brun, from Kent, bought the Zeiss Ikon last month from Compton Care for £135, using the photos of a Mini to trace the pictures back to an address in Wolverhampton in 1965.
Four of the five photographs featured the siblings, with one image showing the pair standing next to their mother, Mary Whitehouse, outside their house on Perton Road in Wolverhampton, where they lived for 12 years.
Karen, who now lives in Staffordshire, said: "It was a great house, the neighbours were really lovely and my mum and dad were really happy there – it was where me and Mark grew up really, it was our 'growing years'.
"My mum and dad have always lived around the Wolverhampton area, my mum used to get dressed up and go to Beatties and have coffee there. Those days of growing up in Wolverhampton my mum loved, she's very much a 'local girl'.
"Having my brother and me and my mum in the same photograph I think was really rare. I had to empty their house and I love a lot of photographs but I've not seen one of the three of us, so that was really special.
"Its lovely that the man that found it has gone to that effort to trace who it belonged to and let us have those images because he didn't have to do that, he could've just chucked them in the bin so we are really grateful for that."
Karen explained that the Mini featured in the photographs was her mum's first car that was gifted to her by her dad, Paul, who is now 87.
The 59-year-old said the camera – which enthusiast Rupert believes would have cost around £880 when it was made – was likely to have been given to her dad on his 18th birthday in 1954.
Mark Whitehouse, 56, said: "We've got hundreds of pictures don't get me wrong, but that sort of picture with the three of us with the car was slightly unique really – they were nice to discover.
"It was funny, I don't do any social media but my wife saw it and she said 'blimey is this you with your mum Mark?' so I just confirmed it really and the rest is history."
Rupert, 63, who has been taking photos since he was five, said he was happy to be able to share the images with the family.
He added: "I'm absolutely delighted they are pleased with the pictures – it's the best possible outcome.
"I'm so happy that they are going to have these pictures and be able to share them with the mother and father. I have since put a roll of film in the camera and I have to say the quality of the images even by modern standards is fantastic."
