The life’s work of Islington’s Beryl Vosburgh, one of the first specialist antique photographica collectors in London, will go on auction next month.

Beryl’s renowned Jubilee Photographica business started as a stall in Camden Passage in the the 1960s.

Her permanent shop became a fixture in the Passage until she retired in 2002.

The most anticipated items on sale are her hundreds of “cartes de visites” – precursors to modern postcards.

Beryl’s own collection is focused on the earliest examples of the craze in the mid-19th century.

The collection will go under the hammer in Newbury, Berkshire, on May 3 and is expected to raise £30,000.

Hugo Marsh, director of Special Auction Services, said: “This really is a fascinating collection and a real reflection of social history.

“Beryl made her career out of buying and selling but it was her passion, more than a job.”