Volunteers

Volunteers help us to raise awareness of our work and improve access to our collections. Read about what they have been getting up to!

Bia’s Work Experience 2024: Thoughts at the end of a busy month!

In June and July, we were joined by Bia for a month’s work experience. Having now completed her placement, we have asked Bia to share her thoughts about Dorset History Centre, and the placement itself… — Over June and July, I took part in the Dorset History Centre’s 2024 work experience placement. Although I had… Read more Bia’s Work Experience 2024: Thoughts at the end of a busy month!

Mapping the Past: Hutchins and Dorset Fairs

At DHC we are delighted to welcome our new volunteer Steve, who has lots of experience of creating interactive online maps. This can be a very engaging way to present material and we are already benefitting from Steve’s expertise as he’s made a map of the various fairs mentioned in Hutchins’ History and Antiquities of… Read more Mapping the Past: Hutchins and Dorset Fairs

Collections Fortnight 2024

In January 2024, for the first time ever, Dorset History Centre has held a two-week closure period. Closure periods are not uncommon in the archive world, and provide an opportunity for staff and volunteers to spend some dedicated time working on collections, trying to solve known problems, or simply cataloguing newly acquired archives. For ourselves… Read more Collections Fortnight 2024

The Remarkable Combination of Reynolds Stone

In 2021 DHC was delighted to take custody of the archive of renowned designer Reynolds Stone.  Thanks to the hard work of one of our volunteers, the catalogue of this collection can now be viewed online at: https://archive-catalogue.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/records/D-RYS We are pleased to publish below a blog by Reynolds Stone’s son Humphrey. — Reynolds Stone CBE … Read more The Remarkable Combination of Reynolds Stone

Volunteers week at Dorset History Centre

At Dorset History Centre we have a group of enthusiastic, committed, and wonderful volunteers who help us with a range of activities, from cataloguing, to interviewing for oral histories, to supporting young learners, to giving talks. As this week (1-7 June) is Volunteers Week, we wanted to celebrate our volunteers, and share with our readers… Read more Volunteers week at Dorset History Centre

The Patients of Herrison Hospital

Earlier in the year Dorset History Centre had two work experience students join us for a month. In this blog, Maddie talks us through some of the more interesting records she found in the Herrison collection… — During my work placement at DHC, I indexed patient files from a Herrison Hospital case book. This was… Read more The Patients of Herrison Hospital

Work Experience and Herrison Hospital

Earlier in the year Dorset History Centre had two work experience students join us for a month. In the second of three blogs they have written, Maddie talks us through her experience… — As part of my second year of Museum Studies at Reading University, I undertook a work placement at DHC, in particular indexing… Read more Work Experience and Herrison Hospital

Work Experience and Dorset Heritage Week

Earlier in the year Dorset History Centre had two work experience students join us for a month. In this blog, Sarah talks us through her experience… — Throughout July I was lucky enough to complete a work placement at the Dorset History Centre. I have studied the different aspects of archiving including public services, cataloguing… Read more Work Experience and Dorset Heritage Week

Archives A-Z: G is for gardens

At this time of year many of us are spending our free time in the garden. Our collections reveal a passion for gardening going back centuries. Changing fashions Plans for alterations to the grounds at Frampton House demonstrate the changing fashions in eighteenth century garden design (reference: D-SHE/22). In 1778 a survey of the grounds… Read more Archives A-Z: G is for gardens