Dorset Archives Trust (DAT) is an invaluable supporter of the work of Dorset History Centre and we feel it is about time we shone a light on their efforts and activities!
DAT, through various methods, raises money and awareness of the work and collections held at DHC, and helps us develop our services and resources. Recently, DAT have organised a hugely successful evening with Paul Atterbury, who came and talked to a large audience about the value and importance of the Poole Pottery collection held in the repositories at DHC. The evening, which raised over £500, was very entertaining, and Paul spoke with relish about the importance of archives in understanding the history and workings of a business such as Poole Pottery, as well as the work that the History Centre does in preserving this valuable and nationally significant collection.
DAT enjoy hosting a wide range of talks on a variety of themes, and previous events have included the changing face of Dorset through the eyes of a farm worker, and Minette Walters talking about the historical influences on her recent work The Last Hours. DAT always welcomes new people to their events and advertise via DHC, so keep your eyes peeled on our Twitter page, or sign-up for our newsletters to stay up-to-date with what’s going on.
On Thursday 11 April 2019, DAT will be hosting a talk by David Burnett, of Dovecote Press. Titled “Publishing in Dorset – 50 years and over 300 titles” David will be talking about the changing face of publishing and some of the projects and archival sources with which he has been involved. You can find out more, or reserve tickets for this event by emailing DAT or calling the dedicated booking line on 01305 228945.
In recent times, DAT have purchased various archives for DHC which we wouldn’t be able to acquire otherwise. Of course, it is impossible to predict what will come up at auction, so it is enormously helpful to have a fund to draw upon to make purchases, often at short notice. Five separate lots of Poole Pottery archival material have been purchased in the last twelve months. These included some of the famous ‘Persian deer’ motif and a series of tiles of relating to the Church of St. John Fisher in Rochester, Kent, commissioned and paid for by the bishop of Rochester, New York. In addition, DAT has funded the purchase of other items, including some World War II records relating to the bombing of Bournemouth.
They have also purchased equipment to help the day-to-day operation of DHC and the searchroom. Recently they have purchased new headphones which will replace the old worn-out sets we previously had. These will help our users and researchers to access the oral histories we hold more easily, and more comfortably than before!
We are all grateful for the support and assistance that DAT continue to provide to DHC. If you are interested in finding out more about DAT or, indeed, being part of their work, you can contact them by emailing enquiries@dorsetarchivestrust.org. They are always on the lookout for new members to continue to support the History Centre, so if you are interested in supporting them, becoming a member, or would like more information about the work that DAT do, please get in touch!
How does one become a member please?
Hi Jo, thank-you for your interest in Dorset Archives Trust. You can become a member of DAT by clicking the relevant link on the following page: https://www.dorsetarchivestrust.org/membership/index.html and following the instructions.