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A look back at Merthyr Tydfil through the years

Getty Images Wearing a 'Gurnos is Great' T-shirt is Gurnos Estate resident Michelle Plummer and daughter Christie, aged 20 months. Michelle has a pixie cut hairstyle which is dyed orange/red and she is holding her daughter in her arms who is wearing all pink. There are other residents behind her and they are standing in front of a pebble-dashed wall.Getty Images
Getty Images Merthyr Tydfil, circa 1896, it is a view of the town in black and white with densely packed terraced housing and industrial chimneys in the distance. Hills can be seen in the distance.Getty Images
Being from the Gurnos is a source of pride for many, as demonstrated by Michelle Plummer and her 20-month-old daughter Christie in 1997
Merthyr Tydfil has a rich industrial heritage, with chimney stacks dominating the skyline in this photo form about 1896

Merthyr Tydfil is in the spotlight at the moment as the town's Cyfarthfa Castle celebrates its 200th birthday.

As a result, BBC Wales is marking this occasion with a special series of programmes.

These will look at the history, culture and people of Merthyr and delve into how it developed as the first industrial town in the world and that legacy.

Here is a look back at the people and places that have made Merthyr Tydfil over the past 200 years.