IT’S amazing what gems have been lying around, gathering dust in our Echo photographic archives. These images, all of past Southend mayors, were salvaged by the Rayleigh Town Museum who have been gifted several thousands of photos from our historic newspaper collections.

While volunteers from the museum were sifting through the countless black and white images from the 1960s-1980s, they came across these formal portraits of mayors of Southend from the 1920s and 1930s.

The images are all on card and would have appeared in the Southend and Country Pictorial newspaper. “There are a number of Southend Mayors in the Council Chamber in full regalia by the mayors’ chair which are of historical significance,” said Mike Davies, chairman of the museum.

“We were thrilled to find them.” The museum is planning to donate the images to a local heritage group in the future so they can be preserved, but first Mike is happy to display them in the museum - located at 91 High Street, Rayleigh - if enough interest is shown.

The first ever mayor of Southend was Alderman Thomas Dowsett who was elected in 1892. There’s no photograph of him, however there is a painting of him which can be viewed in the Beecroft Galley in Southend.

Between 1920 and 1934 there were 11 mayors serving the town - not surprisingly all men. Thee of them served the office twice, William Miles OBE, John Francis and Robert Tweedy Smith.

Meanwhile the Rayleigh Town Museum has just launched its new Royalty Exhibition. The display, which will run until mid January, celebrates the 65th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne and the 70th anniversary of the queen and prince Philip’s wedding. It features more than 100 items, (some rare), dating from the time of Queen Victoria to the present day. The exhibition is free and will be available on museum opening days (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from 10am. until 4 pm.www.rayleightownmuseum.co.uk