The Herbert collection contains numerous photographs of Weymouth pavilion during the 1950s and 1960s, capturing the moments of its demise as ‘the Ritz’ in 1954 and its re-emergence in 1960. Early 20th Century The Pavilion theatre was originally constructed in Weymouth in 1908 at a cost of £14,000. It became a key venue in Weymouth… Read more A photographic history of Weymouth Pavilion
With the help of volunteers, thousands of photographs from the Poole Borough Archive are currently being catalogued. Mostly originating from Poole’s planning department, the photographs range from the mundane (photographs of drainpipes, shop fronts and cracks in walls!) to fascinating images capturing Poole’s recent history. A picture is worth a thousand words…. The images provide… Read more A Snapshot of Poole’s Past
As a coastal town, Poole has always been vulnerable to attack by sea – from the Roman invasion, through the burning of the town by the Spanish in 1405, right up to the Second World War. ‘All my thoughts are directed towards England’ In the early months of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), the whole country… Read more The Napoleonic Invasion Threat
Our Conservator has completed the conservation of a large parchment map belonging to the Shaftesbury Estate. Here she describes the challenges of working with this complex material. As the Conservator at Dorset History Centre, I have the privilege of working on some fascinating and intricate documents, and in 2015 my skills were tested when I… Read more The conservation of Wimborne St Giles parchment map
For hundreds of years, Poole was one of the few English ports to have its own admiralty court. Newly catalogued records in the Poole Borough Archive give an insight into the town’s maritime heritage. From time immemorial, Poole had its own admiralty jurisdiction. The Winchelsea Certificate of 1364 is the oldest surviving document in the… Read more Poole’s Admiralty Court
Dorset History Centre holds many historical and photographic records relating to the stonemason industry on Portland. It is an industry that has international reach and significance. With evidence of quarrying dating back to Roman times, stone-masonry has been a source of labour and wealth in the area for many centuries. Portland stone is an oolitic… Read more The Portland stone industry
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… Read more Through the keyhole: a historic view of Weymouth interiors
Ed Bristow shares an unexpected trace of the Titanic in an unlikely collection. I was five years old when the wreck of the Titanic was found in 1985; it had been sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic for 73 years by that point. I was having difficulty learning to read at Primary School a… Read more A Tragic Reminder of the Unsinkable Ship
A collection of nearly 1000 negatives from the Hibbs Collection has recently been digitised, providing a fascinating glimpse into Dorset life from 1910-1920 and World War One. Dorset History Centre holds a fascinating series of photographs depicting Swanage life, taken between 1870 and 1950 by HR Hibbs (reference: D-1330). Within this collection are a series of… Read more Portraits and Poses: Early Twentieth Century Photography
Ever wondered what it’s like working in the Public Access rooms at the Dorset History Centre? From drains to ancient manuscripts, a Dorset History Centre Assistant shares their account of a typical day. Enquiries from near and far It’s a busy start to the day with lots of telephone messages to follow up from when… Read more A day in the life of a History Centre Assistant
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