A historic photograph of Colman's factory workers playing netball in Norwich is among 3,000 new images added to an online archive.

Eastern Daily Press: An image of some shipwrecked sailors in NorfolkAn image of some shipwrecked sailors in Norfolk (Image: Archant)

Picture Norfolk has uploaded the photographs as part of a two-year project to make at least 25,000 digital images available to the public.

The site, run by Norfolk County Council's library and information service, currently boasts around 20,000 historic photographs for people to browse.

They have been sourced from collections in the Norfolk Record Office, Museums Service and private collections.

Clare Everitt, administrator for Picture Norfolk, said: ''This is a really diverse collection of images, but all of them have one thing in common, which is that they all tell a story about what it was like to live and work in Norfolk in the past.

'The archive also charts the development of photography in the region. Among the treasures are some very early and rare salted paper prints from the 1840s which include scenes of St Benet's Abbey and Costessey Estate.

'My personal favourites are amazing images from the Time and Tide Museum's collection, which capture groups of people from all over the world who were shipwrecked and cared for at the Great Yarmouth Sailors' Home.'

The view or purchase the pictures visit www.picture.norfolk.gov.uk.