Around 350 negatives of photos shot in the late 1950s by award-winning photographer Peter J. Shield have been donated to Heritage Malta.

The collection acts like a time capsule of days gone by as it covers several local themes from political developments to scenes of everyday life.

Dr Shield is also a retired archaeologist, broadcaster and author. Among his various assignments as a photographer, he worked for Associated Press, the Maltese Government Information Department and Times of Malta under Mabel Strickland.

His first interest in photography was initiated by his mother who worked in the labs of Yousuf Karsh, known professionally as ‘Karsh of Ottawa’ and considered one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century.

Dr Shield was lucky enough to be engaged as an apprentice at Karsh’s labs at a very early age.

Mabel Strickland addressing the crowd during the Dockyard dispute uprising.

Later on, as a photojournalist with Associated Press, Dr Shield covered the Middle East and was based in Malta in the 1950s.

“I spent five wonderful years in Malta at the end of my military career, working with the Archaeology Department of Cambridge University on the excavation of Malta’s remarkable catacombs with David Trump and the wonderful Fr Victor Camilleri, who remained a dear friend for 50-odd years until his untimely demise on December 15, 2011,” reminisced Dr Shield.

“During those five years, I was privileged to photograph and record all the archaeological sites on the islands of Malta and Gozo, including the amazing Ġgantija which is the earliest freestanding stone monument built by man,” he added.

Local traders in typical garb of the time.

His work for the Maltese Government Information Department, from 1955 to 1960, included the recording of all the treasures left by the Order of St John and those displayed in several museums and churches on the islands.

Fr Victor Camilleri, MSSP, with Dr Shield’s assistant photographer as he emerges from a partially excavated section of St Agatha’s Catacombs.

“This collection provides valuable memories of one of the most exciting periods of my life,” Dr Shield continued.

“It is an honour that this donation will now form part of the national collection of Malta so that others can recapture the enchanting memories of the islands’ past. I hope this gesture will inspire others to donate such collections to enrich Malta’s patrimony.”

Russell Muscat, Heritage Malta’s digitisation manager, received this donation during a lecture delivered by Dr Shield.

“Heritage Malta is currently setting up the Digitisation Department in order to capture and make available these cultural treasures to the public. Such assets are also inherent with aspects of intangible heritage,” Mr Muscat remarked.

British singer Yana at a beach with British troops.

British photographer and retired archaeologist Peter J. Shield was based in Malta in the 1950s.

The gateway to Valletta.