Wild West photographs surface after more than 130 years

Pictures from 1880s show life on the ranches and small towns through the eyes of a farmhand

Unseen photographs showing life on the frontier of the Wild West have surfaced more than 130 years after being captured.

The pictures were taken in the 1880s around Colorado and New Mexico territory in the US and have remained unseen by the public ever since.

Most of the photos show life on the ranches - herding cattle and riding horses - but they also offer a glimpse of some of the small towns and the newly-built railway.

It is thought that the majority of the images were captured by a British person who travelled to America to work as a farmhand before returning with a whole album of photos.

The set emerged as it was put up for sale by the estate of a deceased collector of photographs from Surrey.

The pictures will go under the hammer at Flints Auctions on 21 June where they are expected to fetch £500.