One of Dorset History Centre’s team has recently passed a driving test, and this, coupled with a photograph from the Herbert Collection inspired a deeper look into the archive! — The roads of Weymouth have certainly changed and so too have motor vehicles and driving lessons. It was amusing to see these two rather large… Read more Driving – how times have changed!
Last year saw the cataloguing of the Herrison Hospital Archive completed by our Project Archivist, Sophie Smith. Sophie’s timing was perfect, leaving us just two days before the first lockdown. However, the conservation of the collection, which still had several weeks to run, was postponed due to the pandemic. This part of the project has… Read more The Conservation of the Herrison Hospital Archive
The purchase in December 2020 of a collection of important documents and printed books relating to Thomas Hardy was one of the highlights of last year – a year in which it was at times difficult to feel optimistic. In an earlier blog, parts of the collection were described and we will now examine other items which cast… Read more Thomas Hardy – exploring a new collection (part 2)
It appears that not much is known about the Dorset born artist Alfred Stevens, but he has been described as The English Michaelangelo and one of the greatest of all English craftsmen and designers. He designed the Wellington memorial in St Pauls Cathedral, the lions at the British Museum and one of the heaviest, largest… Read more Alfred Stevens (1817 – 1875): Part 1
As April is National Pet Month, we thought we’d take the opportunity to share a few fascinating furry friends featured in our collections. A man’s best friend A 2020 survey found that dogs are the most popular pet in the UK, with 26% of adults owning one. Until 1987 all dog owners in Britain were required to obtain a licence. One example from 1935… Read more Pets of the Past
In the local studies library at the Dorset History Centre you can find a large collection of journals. These journals are packed with fascinating articles and are often an underused resource. In this series of blogs we will be highlighting some of the interesting articles within them! This is the sixth in our series of… Read more The Journals of DHC: 1950s
On 1 November 1943, a man, claiming to be refugee, arrived in Poole by flying boat and told a story of how he had escaped from a German internment camp in Occupied France. Little did he know then how short his stay in Britain would be. This was wartime Britain and ports and airports like… Read more How Poole helped capture a wartime spy
In 1799 two significant things were born. Both would make significant contributions to science and research. The first, The Royal Institution of Great Britain was established in March 1799, and is still in existence, having seen no less than 15 Nobel Laureates pass through their doors, and 10 chemical elements be discovered by its members… Read more Mary Anning, 1799-1847
For this blog local Dorset author Minette Walters tells us about the inspiration behind her upcoming book… — For anyone who relishes tales of courage and heroism against overwhelming odds, I recommend a study of the siege of Lyme Regis during the English Civil War. I researched it for my new novel, The Swift and… Read more The Siege of Lyme Regis
Today we’re revisiting for the final time the farm diary of John Foss, who continued to write about farming life at Kingston Russell for the first three months of 1852. A few winter months 1852 starts with fine, frosty weather. The cows are beginning to calf, and John is kept busy with the cheese. John… Read more The Diary of John Foss: 1852 (epilogue)
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