41 fascinating retro pictures show how different the North East looked during the Victorian era

These fascinating archive pictures transport you back to a time before living memory in the North East.

The photos and illustrations capture life around the region during the Victorian era, between 1837 and 1901.

They capture a period when heavy industry was booming, with shipbuilding and coal mining providing mass employment.

This retro photo gallery shows how different the North East looks, but some sights will be familiar.

Two of the region’s most famous landmarks - Newcastle’s Central Station and the High Level Bridge over the River Tyne - are pictured here shortly after being completed more than a century ago.

Other photos show horse-drawn carriages rattling their way along bustling streets, rivers teeming with boats, and iron furnaces belching smoke into the skies.

These pictures give a glimpse into a very different way of life during the 19th century, when working conditions were much tougher for many.

And they show how much the region’s skyline has changed, with high-rise flats and offices replacing many of the hulking factories that dominated big cities back then.