UNSEEN pictures of historical York will go on view worldwide with the aid of a £129,000 lottery grant.

City of York Council is to put 10,000 photographs of the city on to the Internet.

It will send previously unpublished traditional views of York, including the Minster and Shambles, to a massive audience.

And the collection will also include less common images of factories and slums of the city's past.

The council applied to the National Lottery's New Opportunities Fund for the cash. Its success was announced today.

Coun Alan Jones, the council's executive member for leisure and heritage, said: "I am delighted that this bid has been successful. It will produce an exciting and accessible record of York's history and I am sure everyone will look forward to seeing the results."

The pictures record the past 150 years in the city.

Viewers will be able to download them straight from the Internet, or buy higher-quality reproductions directly from City of York Council's library service.

They will also be asked to share memories of the photos, creating a community archive.

The website is expected to be ready by the end of next year.

Updated: 11:52 Monday, July 02, 2001