Photograph collection captures 40 years of theatrics for Eccleshall Players
Old photographs showing a drama society over more than four decades are set to go on display.
Pictures and flyers from Eccleshall Players, a dramatic society which disbanded in 2012, will go on show next week.
Locals are encouraged to come along to Eccleshall Library from Tuesday to see the collection, and will even get the chance to keep some of the photographs.
Ann Scantlebury, who used to direct a few plays, said locals may spot some familiar faces from around the Staffordshire town.
She explained: “A lady who had a box in her garage wanted to get rid of some memorabilia.
“Our aim is to display what we have done at the library and then people can take photographs off – saying “that was my nan”.
The society’s earliest photograph dates back to 1973 – but former members are convinced it dates back even earlier.
GALLERY: Memories from the stage
The 73-year-old added: “It was always known as the Eccleshall Players. It was all local dramatic people. They were very happy to do the plays.
“I think we were all getting older and nobody was recruiting – we were not getting more people to join us. It had its natural closure.
“It was time to call it a day and we were at the stage where even if we got young people in, they wouldn’t have been enough. It was a normal closure – nothing dramatic, we just all got to the same stage in life.
“It’s a shame. We were quite sad. A few years have gone on since it closed.
“It’s reaching out to people who had forgotten about it all.
“We’ve had a lot of inquiries. People want to come and see the photos and they are quite excited by it.”
People can flick through books full of memorabilia, before removing photographs from the collection at a later date.
“Once people have seen the displays, we will offer the photographs,” she added.
