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An exhibition of 85 rare and private photographs charting the life of Richard Burton opens at the Princess Royal Theatre in his home town of Port Talbot this week. It also includes archive material from his stage and film career.

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Burton was born in the small village of Pontrhydyfen where last year a new sign was unveiled commemorating the actor. It coincided with the 20th anniversary of his death.

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Born Richard Walter Jenkins, the 12th of 13 children, he took the stage name Burton in honour of one of his teachers - Phillip Burton - who helped him win a scholarship to Oxford at the age of 16.

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After an early stage career his big Hollywood break came in the film My Cousin Rachel. But it was his role as Marc Antony alongside Elizabeth Taylor, who he twice married and divorced, in the film Cleopatra that changed his personal and professional life.

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Burton became one of the biggest names in Hollywood. He appeared alongside Clint Eastwood in Where Eagles Dare, his friend Richard Harris in the Wild Geese and other credits included Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and his final screen appearance 1984.

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Speaking to the BBC Wales news website in December his nieces Megan and Sian Owen said Burton's family believed Wales was slow in recognising the screen legend. "The Welsh seem to be very slow in celebrating their own," said Sian Owen.

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The exhibition was complied by lifelong Burton fan Gerard Knowles and his son Ben and will be opened by the mayor of Neath Port Talbot Glyn Rawlings on Tuesday. It will be open to the public between midday and 1900GMT from 23 February to 9 March.

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"Richard Burton was one of Port Talbot's most famous sons. It is with honour that the people of Port Talbot can pay tribute to a man who enlightened our screens for so many years," said councillor Glyn Rawlings.