Ally Lusher Tatem cracked open the Bermuda Historical Society’s photography collection and was stunned by the gems she found.

She is now helping to share the treasure by making reprints available for sale for the first time.

“Most of the work in this first group being made available was by my great great grandfather, Nicholas Ethelbert Lusher,” Mrs Lusher Tatem said.

Her relative was unusual in his day because he took photographs of people from all walks of life.

“At that time having your photograph taken would have been something more available to the upper class,” she said.

“The range is geographically and demographically diverse.” Mrs Lusher Tatem, the Society’s photographic collections consultant, said getting the old photos and postcards ready for reprint was no small task.

“They all had to be selected, restored and photographed,” she said.

The images available will change quarterly.

The first set includes scenes from Rosemont in Hamilton, a lily field in Paget and a stone quarry.

Society president Andy Bermingham said the collection had been stored in the Bermuda Archives, and was previously inaccessible to the public.

“It really hasn’t really been accessible to the general public, unless someone was looking for something very specific,” said Mr Bermingham. The Society had made coffee table books in the past, but never individual reprints.

Mr Bermingham said this was a great opportunity for the general public to own a little piece of Bermuda history.

“We feel we have a duty to allow the public access to the collection through production of these images and bringing them onto the open market,” he said.

“This wouldn’t normally be an option for people, as the Bermuda Archives has a very strict policy about copying and photographing stuff.”

He said the Society was trying to modernise and raise its profile in the community.

“We want to be a bit more progressive,” he said.

“It is not about making a huge profit, it is about after so many years of being underutilised.”

To this end, Mrs Lusher Tatem has created a website and Facebook page for the Society where images can be viewed. They can be purchased at the Bermuda Historical Society. Boxes of 12 postcard reprints are available for $30, and matted prints are $60.

• For more information see www.bermudahistoricalsociety.com or www.facebook.com/BermudaHistoricalSociety or visit the Bermuda Historical Society at 13 Queen Street.