A PHOTOGRAPH of 8ft 4ins Fred Kempster - 'The Blackburn Giant' - is among a host of old pictures held in an archive by childen's charity Barnardos.

Gentle giant Fred died of pneumonia in Queen's Park Hospital in 1918 after taking part in a sideshow in a local penny bazaar, and was 'adopted' by the town. But 29-year-old Fred, who was buried in a 9ft long, 2ft 3ins wide coffin in two graves in the cemetery in Whalley New Road, was actually born in 1889 in London.

He was admitted to Barnardos in Stepney aged nine when his mother asked for help.

Fred went to Canada and joined an American circus as The World's Tallest Man and drew large crowds.

His biographer Colin Alexander-Jones said: "Fred used to strike terror into the hearts of children when they first saw him but he was a gentle man.

"He was a Barnardos boy who grew up to be kind, friendly and lovable and a giant everyone could look up to."

The black and white photograph shows Fred towering over a policeman and is included in Barnardos Image Archive - a unique bank of still and moving images from throughout the 20th century.

A new catalogue, sponsored by photographic copany Nikon, provides an opportunity to view a small selection and order material direct. Archive officer John Kirkham said: "We have over 2,000 requests a year for help in tracing relatives and the pictures could well be the crucial link that many people need to find out about a loved one."

The charity is appealing for donations of old prints or home movies to be sent to The Film and Photographic Archive, Barnardos, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex, IG6 1QG, or contact John on 0181 550 8822 ext 345.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.