For more than 150 years they have been famous for their exquisite cabinet making and shop fitting.

But during the First World War workers at Bradford-based company Christopher Pratt & Sons also turned their hand to building flying boats to help the war effort.

Now brothers Barry and David Pratt want their unique photographic records of the making of the Phoenix 'Cork' P5 planes to be displayed by one of the city's museums.

Their vast collection of archive photos includes rare and historical images of the company's female workforce assembling the P5 as most of the male workers were off fighting in the war.

David Pratt, 66, who is now retired from the company, said: "It was our great-grandfather Christopher Pratt who founded the business and it was our father, who was also called Christopher, who was in charge of building these aircraft in the First World War.

"I think the collection of photographs is fairly unique because it's so comprehensive as we've always been a family of hoarders.

"What we want is the collection preserving as it's too much for us to look after and then displaying so the general public can get access to what is a very important but little known part of Bradford's history during the Great War."

The P5 'Cork' was the first plane to be used by the RAF to carry out airborne attacks on German warships and U-boats.

It was Sir P J Pybus, the head of the Phoenix company which later became English Electric, who first approached Christopher Pratt and got the company to produce the P5's wings, tail planes and rudders at its North Parade factory.

Barry Pratt, 74, who is also retired from the company, said: "I think it's important for the present generation to be able to see the contribution Bradford made."

The firm is still in business although only Christopher Pratts Contracts remains in the family's hands while the retail side, Christopher Pratt and Sons, has been taken over by another family-run business.

Bradford Industrial Museum is one of the favourites to house the collection alongside its existing Bradford Pals exhibition.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.