A Douglas business is reuniting images taken decades ago with their owners through Facebook.

You may have already seen Morrison Photos, on Tynwald Street in Douglas, upload numerous old film photographs of people and places on its social media page.

Together business owner John Morrison and his wife Kath hope to have as many of the photographs go back to their rightful homes as possible.

’There’s hundreds and hundreds of unclaimed photos,’ Mr Morrison told the Examiner.

’We thought we’d start with the younger photographs. My wife posted part of a picture on Facebook to see what would happen.

’We went up into the attic and found a box of photos that are 20 years old. One goes back to 1991. It was posted and has recently been collected.’

At the time of speaking he said that about 15 packets of the forgotten photos had been collected since the Facebook initiative began this year.

’Some children in the pictures now have children that same age themselves. It’s wonderful,’ he continued.

’It’s lovely the reaction we’re getting on Facebook. It’s very satisfying. We like our customers to be happy because it makes us feel good. I know it sounds corny, but it’s true!’

He explained that although they have the right to destroy photographs if unclaimed for seven years, they felt it was the wrong thing to do as they belonged to someone.

’We just want people to have them,’ he added.

One person who is yet to reclaim photos from the shop is Jess O’Brien, from Douglas, who spotted a Morrison Photos Facebook post of herself as a child on a carousel.

’The photo was taken at the TT fairground when it used to be on the old bus site,’ she said. ’I wanted that horse as it had the same name as my nana, Nellie. I was about five years old in that photo so it’s 20 years old, as I’m now 25. That makes me feel old!

’It was lovely to see the photo again and it brings back many fond memories with my nana who has since sadly passed. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to claim the photograph as of yet because of work.

’I’m really excited to see what else is on there and hoping it will bring back many more memories of the time I spent with my nana as she was my world.’

The family-run shop moved to Tynwald Street in 2000, but originally started in 1987 by Mr Morrison’s father Percy.

The business has paid for the majority of the film photographs to be developed. They have been waiting for years for people to purchase them back.

To view more of the photographs, search: facebook.com/MorrisonPhotosIOM/