In July, Dorset History Centre welcomed four students on work experience placements. Throughout the four weeks that the students were with us, they sampled all sorts of elements of life at DHC. In this blog, one of the students, Rosie, explains more about her time with us…
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During July 2022 I was fortunate enough to be able to take part in the student placement opportunity at the Dorset History Centre. I am currently a second year History student at the University of Winchester so being able to take part in such a great opportunity during my summer break allowed me to immerse myself into the world of archives, leaving no section unexplored.
My knowledge of archives before joining the Dorset History Centre was quite basic as I had never had the opportunity to explore and gain a full understanding of what they involve. I understood that they were a place where records and documents (including sound and film) were kept which were then made available to the public to use and research. I was, however, unaware of the dedication to maintain and preserve the collections and the efforts that go into allowing the archives to remain a public service.
During my placement I was introduced to different sectors of the archival service. These included conservation, public service, and external institutions such as the Historic Environment Record (HER) and the Portable Antiquities Scheme and I learnt about how vital these sectors are to the archive and was able to take part in what the role entailed. The cool temperature of the repositories was also a gift during the hot summer days!
Alongside this I was introduced to research projects which gave me the opportunity to explore the archive and help make the contents accessible for public use. As part of this I worked on the prison collection which introduced me to several documents such as prison photographs, descriptions, and registers. From this I was able to recognise and identify interesting elements which developed into a tale about food theft in rural Dorset (coming soon!)
For this I combined the instances of food theft documented within the registers with the descriptions of the prisoners to gain an understanding into the lives of certain individuals and how rural life worked in Dorset during the 19th century. I was also continuously shocked and saddened at the ages of some of the prisoners and their associated offence and punishment.
This project became even more harrowing when I went on a field trip to the Shire Hall Museum in which we were introduced to the relationship between archives and public interpretation. Being able to walk and stand in the same place as the individuals I had been researching was an incredible experience and highlighted how archival material can help make places such as the Shire Hall Museum a place to be understood and truly valued.
This student placement has been a brilliant experience and I would greatly recommend applying to anyone who has an interest in history or the workings and preservation of the archive service. I have been lucky enough to be so involved in the functioning of the Dorset History Centre, working across different sectors and with different individuals, but most importantly I feel I have come out of the experience with a greater gratitude for the work of archives and the need to continue allowing this to be a public service.
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This was a guest blog, written by Rosie Charles, who has spent time working at Dorset History Centre as part of her work experience. If you would like to contribute a guest blog, please get in touch with us – archives@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk.