Maldon and Burnham historic photographs at museum

A computer has been donated to Burnham Museum containing more than 50,000 images taken by photographer Derek Argent.

Derek was a photographer living in Burnham who covered stories for the Maldon and Burnham Standard from the late 60s until 2010.

He was born in Bradwell-on-Sea in 1934, to Terry and Nellie Argent, and died in 2016.

He was called up for the army in 1952, which is when his interest in photography grew.

He packed his Agfa 120 film camera and filmed his experiences in the Essex Regiment.

The images captured are included in the archives at the museum.

He returned to Bradwell and began working as a trainee carpenter for Dowsets until his photography grew and he worked as a freelance photographer in the evenings and at the weekends.

He enjoyed photographing big social events, but said no to confrontational news stories.

Son Steven Argent, who worked as a staff photographer for the Maldon and Burnham Standard and the Colchester Gazette for 30 years said: “After taking his pictures he would then come home to his custom-built darkroom where he developed and printed his pictures.

“Everybody knew my dad as he had photographed them or someone they knew. He also did weddings and portraits.

“He was a builder by trade and worked locally for a family firm in Burnham.

“When we lost him in 2016, I was left with his darkroom full of these pictures.

“I gave all the prints to the Burnham Museum, as previously reported.

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“The negatives, which for the technical minded were 120 black and white negatives were a problem

“So in lockdown I spent every spare hour scanning them in - it took two years.”

The archive of social history photographs is free for anyone to look through at Burnham Museum.

The museum asks that if anyone wants any copies of the photographs in the archive that a donation is made.