A special piece of equipment on its way from the United States which will unlock the secrets of an estimated 22,000 rolls of film taken in Hawke's Bay during the last 70-plus years.
Russell Spiller is a name many long-time Hawke's Bay residents will know - a noted local photographer who ran Batchelor's Candid Studios in Napier from 1946 to 1981.
In his time he took thousands of rolls of film, at weddings, christenings, family gatherings and public events.
The project to review more than 22,000 rolls of film has been taken on by the team at Hawke's Bay Knowledge Bank, based at the Hastings District Council-owned Stoneycroft Reserve in Omahu Rd, Hastings.
Volunteers will digitally archive content from the films loaned to them by the Spiller family and make the images available through its website. Even with the special equipment, the project is expected to take almost two years to complete.