In January 2024 we undertook Collections Fortnight, a two-week period where we closed to the public and worked on many behind-the-scenes tasks. These weeks were a fantastic time for us to focus on the documents and make a start on auditing our archives. This also gave us a chance to uncover some weird, beautiful, and slightly gross records!
When looking through so many boxes, the documents begin to blur together. However, the colourful wax seals really stood out among the paper and parchment. We found some fantastic applied and pendant seals. from royal and ecclesiastical marks to morbid skulls! Can you spot the griffin?
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We catalogued this scrapbook which belonged to Thomas Rackett. He had filled the pages with weird and wonderful cutouts, which he had often coloured himself. There are also a lots of illustrations throughout!
The Rackett collection also contained this sketch of the landmarks you can see from Badbury Rings.
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There were a number of invites and dance cards from events held by the Bournemouth mayor at the turn of the 20th century. Some of the dance cards are filled in, and even have their tiny pencils still attached!
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We also found this strangely shaped map, which puts us in mind of a potato… maybe its lunchtime?!
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And now for some conservation nightmares… In one collection we discovered a number of truly terrible records. These documents were damaged before they came to Dorset History Centre, and are so far beyond repair that they have instead been kept as an example of the effects of bad conditions.
This volume has been eaten through by silverfish. The damage to the pages and to the spine have made it so fragile that it is impossible to use.
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This parchment deed has been stored somewhere damp. Parchment is dried animal skin, usually deer, and when it becomes damp, the pages adhere together and becoming stiff. Unfortunately the information in this deed has been locked away!
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Here we have a lovely rainbow of mould. Thankfully these moulds are dead and no longer active – our strongrooms are kept at the right humidity and temperature to prevent mould growth! It might not be an active risk to the document anymore, but it could still be harmful to us. A good reminder to wash your hands after handling documents, as well as before!
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We loved finding this excellent label on this very fragile document – nibbled by rodents!
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This material from the Devenish collection is fantastic but probably doesn’t belong in an archive. It would be better held in a museum where they have the correct facilities to store objects that are not archival, like metal trays, tap signs, and bar towels.
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And finally, can anyone guess what this doodle is? Guesses from staff at DHC include an alien, a diving suit, and an early Minion design…
