Taken at the dawn of photography , these unique pictures are some of the first ever taken of the city of Bristol , nearly 100 years before much of its historic centre was destroyed by Nazi bombing . The images , captured between 1850 and 1855 by photographer Hugh Owen , have surfaced after being put up for auction - and could fetch up to £30,000 . Everything from the waterfront , city centre and St Mary Redcliffe church can be seen in the shots , as well as The Fourteen Stars Tavern building which was pulled down in 1857 . It became part of the site for The Bristol Brewery Georges before that was closed in 1999 and later turned into a block of flats . Many of the buildings pictured have changed dramatically between the 19th century and today , particularly the area of High Street . Other shots are almost identical , including the one of St John 's Gate at the Church of St John the Baptist , which shows that little is different in certain areas that escaped the heavy bombing during the Second World War . The albumen prints were made in the 1870s from the original paper negatives of the early 1850s . They are due to go up for auction in Cirencester tomorrow . Stepping back in time : The Fourteen Stars Tavern ( pictured left ) can be seen in a photo believed to have been taken shortly before it was knocked down . It was replaced by The Bristol Brewery Georges , which has since closed and been converted into flats . As it is today ( right ) Many uses : There was a builder , undertaker and joiner stationed at Broad Quay Bristol when this photo was taken between 1850 and 1855 . How Broad Quay Bristol looks now . It has become restaurants but retained some of its old character for people to enjoy while they eat . Little difference : The view through St John 's Gate at the Church of St John the Baptist has not changed much between 1850 and today - apart from the road works . High Street in Bristol ( left in 1850 ) is one of the areas where the buildings have changed quite dramatically over the past 160 years . The structure was overhauled in 1962 to make way for what is the former Norwich Union building . Today it stands defunct and boarded up ( right ) This fascinating picture shows Sleep Street in Bristol at the dawn of photography , believed to have been taken between 1850 and 1855 . St Mary Redcliffe church was constructed from the 12th to the 15th centuries and has been a place of Christian worship for over 900 years . Pictured left is what the towering structure looked like in the 19th century after being snapped by Hugh Owen and , right , how it appears now . Hugh Owen 's photograph shows St Peter 's Hospital , which was destroyed in the Bristol Blitz in 1940 . Built as a merchant 's house , it had been a showcase of Jacobean architecture before it was bombed . Not much change : The church is renowned for the beauty of its Gothic architecture and is classed as a Grade I listed building by English Heritage . Queen Elizabeth I is said to have described it as 'the fairest , goodliest , and most famous parish church in England ' St Mary-Le-Port Street in Bristol . The albumen prints were made in the 1870s from the original paper negatives of the early 1850s . Area of beauty : College Green , Bristol , as it looked in the 19th century . A replica of the Bristol High Cross had been erected there , in the shadow of the cathedral , because the original was deemed too fragile to move again . Missing landmark : The remains of the replica cross can now be seen in nearby Berkeley Square , where they were transferred in about 1950 from College Green ( pictured ) . Much of the trees which shielded the cathedral are now gone . Another image of Sleep Street in Bristol . It is believed the set of pictures could fetch up to £30,000 when they go up for auction tomorrow . This photo shows Host Street in Bristol . It provides a glimpse into the past as much of the historic city centre was destroyed by bombing during the Second World War .
Images were taken at the dawn of photography by Bristol and give a glimpse of how the city looked in 1850 . They are being put up for auction in Cirencester tomorrow and are expected to fetch between £20,000-£30,000 . The unique pictures provide a rare chance to see what Hugh Owen looked like before it was heavily bombed in the war .