TODAY we can reveal images of everyday life in Blackburn which haven't been seen for 100 years.

The remarkable pictures of schoolchildren are taken from a series of films which lay forgotten in a cellar until they were discovered five years ago.

The films were shot by Blackburn film-makers Sagar Mitchell and James Kenyon who filmed all over the North West putting together an amazing visual record of life before the First World War.

The story of these pioneering documentary makers is to be told in a three-part series to be shown on BBC2 in the Autumn.

Now the modern day film-makers are hoping that Lancashire Evening Telegraph readers can help supply information which they may be able to use in the series.

Pupils from St Joseph's and St Matthew's.

Producer Annabel Hobley said: "There are some fantastic films of Blackburn school children that we are particularly interested in. The films are called St Stephen's School, January, 2004, St Barnabas School, October 1905, Audley Range School and a series about St Joseph's RC Church.

"What we are looking for is descendents of children, teachers and workers at the time our films were shot.

"We are trying to find out what life was like at school, at work and at home and it would be fantastic if we could find people alive today who would talk us through their grandparents' experiences in a lively way."

The Mitchell and Kenyon archive consist of around 800 rolls of nitrate film, much of it rescued by local historian and Blackburn jeweller Peter Worden.

St Stephen's boys and girls.

The collection consists mainly of short documentary films, many of which were commissioned by travelling fairground operators for showing at fairs and other venues .

Anyone with information about the schools featured can contact Annabel Hobley at the BBC on 020 8752 6268.