Year: 2025

Finding stories of changing attitudes to gender

February marks LGBTQ+ history month. Our new Principal Archivist Claire has taken some time to reflect on gender representation in historic archives… — I have always felt a bit wary of the idea of having separate months for particular communities because of the implication that community is only entitled to be remembered one month out… Read more Finding stories of changing attitudes to gender

“Our Journal at Winterbourn St. Martins”: An Introduction

Earlier this year, we came across a curious diary in our library here at Dorset History Centre. Written in 1872, Our Journal at Winterbourn St. Martins is a personal diary written by a Miss Berry Dallas during her visit to Dorset. Joined by her younger sister Helen, Berry stayed with Major Charles Clapcott and his… Read more “Our Journal at Winterbourn St. Martins”: An Introduction

Introducing our new Principal Archivist

Last autumn, Jacqui Halewood, Dorset History Centre’s long-standing Principal Archivist retired. We were joined in November by Claire Skinner, stepping into the role with us, and in today’s blog we wanted to introduce you to Claire… — January is traditionally a time both to look back and to look forwards. I would therefore like to… Read more Introducing our new Principal Archivist

Photographs of Dorchester by Gordon Slade

At Dorset History Centre, we were recently donated a collection of photographs taken by a local amateur photographer, Gordon Slade. Gordon Slade recorded images of Dorchester and Dorset between the 1960s and 2000s. He photographed many images of Dorchester, Poundbury, and surrounding areas of Dorset as it changed and developed over the years. This included… Read more Photographs of Dorchester by Gordon Slade