The Dorset County Constabulary was formed in 1856 and at the Dorset History Centre we hold the general order books dating back to the very beginning of the force. These handwritten books are small handwritten volumes that would take a long time to look through, but on our searchroom shelves is a transcript of the… Read more The First Dorset Policemen
WHO’S AFEAR’D is not just the motto on the Dorset Coat of Arms but also the name of a Spitfire which crashed near Meopham, Kent on 23rd June 1942. This fighter aircraft had been funded by local contributions from Blandford & Sturminster Newton District people and paid for in a manner which today would be… Read more Who’s Afear’d
In 1924 Mabel Lucy Matthews and Caroline Haslett electrical engineers and champion of women’s rights set out to popularize the domestic use of electricity. They, along with other leading female figures from the world of engineering, politics and business, established the Electrical Association for Women. The EAW set out to educate women on the range… Read more ‘Emancipation from Drudgery for Women’
In June 1904 Col. W. F. Cody, aka ‘Buffalo Bill’ and his Wild West and Congress of Rough Riders Show appeared in Dorchester for one day only. The advert, shown below, appeared in the Southern Times on 28th May 1904 advertising the forthcoming show. It details the many attractions of the show, such as; ‘An… Read more The Wild West Comes to Dorchester! (Part 1)
Easter is a time to celebrate new life. The dormant cold of winter has given way to the burst of colour that we so gratefully cherish every spring from the gorgeous daffodils, snowdrops and tulips to the bouncing lambs seen in the fields and the iconic emblem of the Easter Bunny- a beloved creature leaving… Read more An Easter Tail
It is unknown how long the custom of April Fools has been popular. But it’s safe to say this day of practical jokes ignites everyone’s mischievous streak! Delving into the newspaper archive has revealed a Victorian perspective to the historical and cultural reasoning for the jokes and japes that occur on the 1st of April,… Read more A Fool’s Education
This week we have celebrated International Women’s Day, and March is Women’s History Month, so is the perfect occasion to celebrate a local trailblazer who broke into the male dominated world of architecture. Elisabeth Whitworth Scott was born in Bournemouth in 1898. She soon realised that the girls in her large family were not receiving the… Read more Elisabeth Whitworth Scott (R.I.B.A. 1898-1972)
On March 8th we celebrate International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. A national holiday in several countries worldwide; including China, Russia, Laos, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Uganda – International Women’s Day has been celebrated for over a century, with the first official IWD gathering taking place in… Read more Women’s History month – Celebrating women, International Women’s Day
Gertrude Ethel Sharp, the youngest of seven children, was born in 1890. In her early 20s, she studied Applied Art at the Royal College of Art in London, there meeting, and marrying in 1915, John Adams, a potter, designer and technical ceramicist from a famous Staffordshire family. After their marriage, Truda and John moved to… Read more The Mystery of Truda Carter
In modern life, we’re aware of the prevalent use of photo manipulation – in film and TV, advertising, and even on social media through filters. We know not to take photos at face value and can even spots the signs of tweaking. Now consider the clear skinned, slim-waisted subjects of Victorian and Edwardian photographs –… Read more Photoshopping the Past
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