Historians at the birthplace of modern photography have discovered a monocle worn by William Henry Fox Talbot, some 130 years after his death.

Talbot, recognised as the father of modern photography with invention of the positive negative process in 1835, used the monocle during his development work for the first camera.

But it laid undisturbed in one of the private rooms at Lacock Abbey where the great man lived and worked.

When the final tenants moved out of the accommodation, curator Roger Watson was able to access rooms at the Abbey to search through old boxes and files which had gathered dust since Talbot’s death in 1877.

The monocle, now in pride of place at the museum, was shown to a group of photographers who gathered in Lacock for a special dinner t mark the annual Talbot Day celebrations.

Curator Mr Watson said: “I know it is definitely Talbot’s monocle as we have photographs of him wearing it in his thirties and forties.”