It has taken almost a year to compile, spans more than 5000 photographs and traces the fortunes of Great Yarmouth through the decades. Putting the records in order, scanning pictures, indentifying them and cataloguing them has called for expert local knowledge and a keen eye for detail.
But now, thanks the efforts of three volunteers the Percy Trett Collection is now accessible to local history researchers as well as those curious to find out more about the town.
Mr Trett, a renowned naturalist, amassed his collection at the garage next door to the Time and Tide museum where he lived and worked for more than 60 years.
And although the photographs were well-ordered and meticulously kept digitising the legacy and identifying locations and people has been a mammoth task
The small team of volunteers included local historians Michael Bean, Peter Allard and Rebecca Marshall, Mr Trett's daughter who also works at the Time and Tide Museum in visitor services.
They started out with what seemed a dauntless task in October last year, carefully referencing each photograph and then identifying and dating it (some with great difficulty) before being given a unique reference number and scanned.
Mr Allard said: 'It was an excellent project and the best that I've been involved with since I began volunteering at Great Yarmouth Museums some 17 years ago'.
James Steward, eastern area manager for the museums service, said: 'We are delighted this important collection has made the vital step towards full public access, all thanks to the hard work of these volunteers.
'They obviously enjoyed the challenge and have shown great determination in completing the task. They have also demonstrated the great value that volunteers contribute to museums.'
The collection complements the museum's 20,000 strong store of photographs, mainly of maritime scenes.
Mr Trett's collection, probably itself built from donations, sprang from his insatiable interest in local history.
The images start in the 19th century with many relating to the Rows showing they have long been of interest historically.
Mr Trett was a columnist for the Mercury's sister paper the EDP, magistrate and chairman of Great Yarmouth Local History and Archaeology Society. He died in 2012 aged 86, having retired from his garage business two years earlier.
Anyone wishing to view the collection can do so by contacting Jo O'Donoghue, Time and Tide curator on 01493 743941.
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