Mr Gordon Stewart had the Lagonda Motor Company produce this specially converted coach built vehicle to transport his famous ‘Send’ Great Danes from his Surrey based Kennels, to shows up and down the country. This amazing image is just one of over 20,000 different motoring related glass negatives to be sold later this month by Bonhams

An incredible archive depicting some of the most historic and important black and white images from Britain's motoring industry, dating from the early part of the 20th century to the 1950s, will be included in Bonhams’ Sale of Collectors’ Motor Cars, Cycles, Automobilia, Toys & Models to be held at the RAF Museum, Hendon on 28th April 2003.

In 1909 Charles K Bowers was apprenticed to a photographer called Pickard in Leeds. He worked with Pickard until the outbreak of war when he was sent to work for Short Brothers Aircraft Factory on the Isle of Sheppy from where he was later transferred to Sopwith Aviation at Kingston-upon-Thames.

Following its liquidation in 1922 he joined the STD Combine and formed the photographic department of their publicity company, The Albermarle Press. Bowers subsequently bought the rights and continued his photographic business., specialising solely in automobile related photography.

The collection, which contains over 20,000 original glass plate negatives, is being sold direct from the family. It is contained in small boxes with each glass plate negative being wrapped in protective covering. Delicate by nature, the negatives are of incomparable quality and cover a vast range of motoring subjects and marques. Some of the familiar coachbuilders, personalities and manufacturers include: H J Mulliner, W O Bentley, Park Ward, Lagonda, Darracq, Talbot and Morris.

The archive is to be sold as one lot and is expected to realise in excess of £30,000.

For further information, please contact the Auctioneers, Bonhams, 101 New Bond Street, London W1S 1SR. Tel: 020 7629 6602 Fax: 020 7629 8876.

Bonhams is also on the Web and details of this and all other Bonhams forthcoming sales can be found at: www.bonhams.com