Year: 2020

Beales, bombs and evidence within the archives

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Bournemouth suffered a devastating aerial assault when 23 May 1943, a German ‘Tip and Run’ raid attacked the town.  The incident is well recorded as the cost in human lives and physical destruction was severe with a reputed 130 deaths and the levelling of over 50 buildings.  Amongst the premises badly affected were two large hotels, the Metropole and Central, as well as Beales Department Store where… Read more Beales, bombs and evidence within the archives

Collection Spotlight: Civil Defence records

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Amongst the Dorset Council records is a small section of Civil Defence records, Ref: DCC-CD, dating primarily from the Second World War. Following the first World War it was acknowledged that any future conflicts would involve aerial attacks and a committee was set up to establish what could be done to protect the public from… Read more Collection Spotlight: Civil Defence records

LGBTQ+ Histories Now Available!

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“When I could finally come out to my parents – that was when I felt liberated, and that I could live openly” In February, we told you about twenty-five oral history recordings we had developed, in partnership with LGBTQ+ volunteers. These recordings involve Dorset residents talking about their experiences around coming out, their views on… Read more LGBTQ+ Histories Now Available!

The Rena Gardiner collections

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Recently, we have been exploring the work of Dame Elisabeth Frink, as part of our project to catalogue the Frink collection held at Dorset History Centre. However, Frink’s is not the only collection of artistic material we hold… — “It is a quiet region, without drama in either landscape or architecture; yet although each of… Read more The Rena Gardiner collections

Collection Spotlight: The Baskett Family Collection

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The Baskett Family collection, D-719, is spread over three boxes, two containing documents and one full of photographs. The documents were clearly collected by someone who was interested in history and many of them contain notes about family history and pedigrees of families related to the Basketts. When you find an entry for the pedigree… Read more Collection Spotlight: The Baskett Family Collection

Conservation Tales: The Accounts of Beeby

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If we look closely, archival documents can tell us so much more than that which is written in their pages.  Even the most unassuming volume, such as these accounts of the church wardens and constables of Beeby, can tell us a great deal about how the volume was used, some of the personality of its… Read more Conservation Tales: The Accounts of Beeby

“The Gypsy Camp” by Raymond Wills

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DHC houses the Local Studies Library,  a reference library which houses publications about Dorset’s past, and we are always keeping an eye out for new books to add diversity and depth to the collection. This summer we have added “The Gypsy Camp” by Raymond Wills, the local ‘Gypsy Poet’. Ray is an author and poet from… Read more “The Gypsy Camp” by Raymond Wills

Archives A-Z: L is for Local Studies Library

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Whilst Dorset History Centre is primarily known for its archive of historical documents, we also hold the Local Studies library, packed with books on places, people and subjects relating to Dorset as well as titles by the local authors, such as Thomas Hardy, William Barnes and the Powys family. We even have some sheet music!… Read more Archives A-Z: L is for Local Studies Library