Our intern has been working on digitising photographic negatives from the Herbert Collection, supported by Creative Dorset. She shares some highlights which allow us to peek through the keyhole into some of Weymouth’s popular hotels and businesses.
The following are all pictures taken of interiors, mainly for businesses in the Weymouth area in 1963 and 1964.
Hotel Lounges
Ever since King George III came to Weymouth for its mild climate and for the reputedly healing sea water, Weymouth has been a much-loved destination for tourists. UK visitors spent around £40 million on accommodation in 2014 and Weymouth’s hotels are well-represented in the Herbert collection.
Note the fact that the chairs are not all facing the television in any of the photographs, and that in two of the three the fireplace has been replaced by a metal electric or gas fire.
Local businesses
Along with the pictures of hotels and tourist destinations Herbert also photographed local businesses. For example, photographs taken at the Regency Hair Salon. Unlike many other businesses, this is instantly recognisable as a hair salon by the equipment.
Panorama Restaurant
The Panorama Restaurant is still open today and has expanded its premises, although the street name has changed. During the 1950s and 1960s, wood panelling was common because it was inexpensive and easy to install, along with using Formica for tables and counter tops due to its versatility and easiness to clean. Notice the ashtray on the counter – already a sight consigned to history. It may have been almost 10 years since the smoking ban but it’s hard to remember what eating out was like before it!
Maypole Coffee Bar
Coffee bars sprang up in the 1950s and 1960s, making use of the Italian Espresso machine which had arrived in Britain in 1952. They often had jukeboxes and could host live music, becoming integral to the teenage music scene.
The Maypole Coffee Bar is now a McDonald’s – gone are the variety of patterns on the walls and wood panelling.
TwinFlair
Twinflair was owned by Godfrey and Liz Chapman, who at one point had three salons in Weymouth and also sold clothes, putting on a show at the Pavilion in 1968. To modern eyes, this shop might seem a bit busy with two types of patterned wallpaper and patterned carpet!
Shift dresses are synonymous with the sixties – colourful prints including checks, stripes and polka dots were all the rage!
Links with other collections
No collection at Dorset History Centre should be seen in isolation – the millions of documents we hold are all tiny pieces of a puzzle which together reveal the history of the people and places of Dorset over the past thousand years. Our local studies library contains a wealth of secondary sources on Weymouth’s past.
This selection is just the tip of the iceberg – if you would like to explore the collection further or would like advice on your own research please contact us.
Lisa Mitchell, Digital Resources Intern