Aberfan disaster: The portraits that helped bring the children home

Gaynor described the heartbreaking decision her family faced after their mother died.

“Taking them down, you’re not taking a painting, you’re taking them,” she said.

The portraits were buried alongside their mother.

“We buried them with Mam in a white box, like a little coffin.

“We placed them facing each other.

“It felt like burying them again.”

For Jeanette, the future of Edwina’s portrait is a source of concern.

“I worry about what will happen to the painting,” she said. “I want people to see them.”

Denise feels the same pull between preservation and possession.

“It’s a treasure,” she said. “I could never part with it.”

Nearly six decades after the disaster, the paintings remain extraordinary objects. They were created by a man who had never met the children, but his kindness ensured they were treasured by the families who received and loved them.

By painstakingly recreating the faces of children who had been lost, William Richardson gave something precious back to a community living with unimaginable grief.

For many families, the portraits did more than capture memories. They brought the children home.

Unseen: The Aberfan Portraits is available on the BBC iPlayer and will be shown on BBC One Wales at 22:40 BST on Monday 19 October.