archives

Corona Diaries Project

Recording the Coronavirus experience in Dorset – Dorset History Centre’s role and how you can contribute

DHC, as the repository for the written and recorded memory of Dorset is keen to play its part in ensuring that future generations can look back on the present day’s experience of the coronavirus pandemic and its impact across the county, whether that be within the setting of village or conurbation.  To this end, DHC working in partnership with Lighthouse, Poole put out a call in early April for ‘Corona Diaries’.  We were seeking volunteers to keep a record of their lives and experiences during this period. 

We were delighted to receive over 100 responses and have been in touch with all those who initially contacted us to supply guidance on formats and legal permissions relating to future access.  We are well aware that there are other people who have been in touch subsequently, who would like to participate.  As it stands at the moment though, we are unable to accommodate any more diarists. 

However, we would certainly not discourage anyone from creating their own record (documents, photographs, film and sound) and would suggest that they contact us when this crisis is over to discuss whether their diary might be suitable to form part of the permanent archival record.

DHC would like to thank all those who have contacted us over the ‘Corona Diaries’ project.  We wish you well in your diary keeping and look forward to discussing the next steps of the process when the current restrictions are lifted. 

DHC is also keen to collect a representative sample of information (hard copy and digital) relating to the impact of Covid-19 – notices, advice and guidance, official proclamations – anything that helps to explain and contextualise the huge changes that have been made very rapidly.  Please contact us if you have anything that you would like to discuss depositing with us. 

In addition, if you are using this period to sort out your attic, shed, or just a drawer, and find letters, diaries, photographs, film or sound recordings or anything else you believe might be worth keeping for long-term retention, please do get in touch with DHC for further advice. 

You can also find information about, and stories from, DHC through our blog pages, and can also engage with us through our social media channels as well. 

Thank-you for thinking of us, and we wish you the best of health during this period. 

Archival Types – Letters and Correspondence

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 ‘…I have scrawled with my pencil a sort of view…’ D-BKL/H/J/1/1357 — In recent times, and particularly during this period, our means of communication has become largely ephemeral and digital; including text messaging, video and audio.  But for centuries it was not so.  Until the advent of the telephone in the latter part of the… Read more Archival Types – Letters and Correspondence

Bookbinding DIY – Piano hinge binding

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Whilst the Coronavirus lockdown continues, we have asked our Conservator for some bookbinding activities you can try at home. This is the third of three blogs in which she will show you how to do some book-binding at home… — A part of my job that I always look forward to is running bookbinding sessions. … Read more Bookbinding DIY – Piano hinge binding

Bookbinding DIY – Single Section Pamphlet

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Whilst the Coronavirus lockdown continues, we have asked our Conservator for some bookbinding activities you can try at home. This is the second of three blogs in which she will show you how to do some book-binding at home… — A part of my job that I always look forward to is running bookbinding sessions. … Read more Bookbinding DIY – Single Section Pamphlet

Bookbinding DIY – Japanese Stab-Stitch binding

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Whilst the Coronavirus lockdown continues, we have asked our Conservator for some bookbinding activities you can try at home. This is the first of three blogs in which she will show you how to do some book-binding at home… — A part of my job that I always look forward to is running bookbinding sessions. … Read more Bookbinding DIY – Japanese Stab-Stitch binding

Archives – what they are and what you can do with them?

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During this period where many of us are in effect house-bound, we thought that it would be useful to revisit the basis on which the Dorset History Centre (DHC) was established in 1955 – i.e. to preserve and make accessible archives and to ask the question ‘what are archives?’ and ‘why should we keep them?’… Read more Archives – what they are and what you can do with them?

The Arrival of the Black Death in Dorset

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The current coronavirus pandemic has brought home to us all how fragile human health can be and also how our lifestyles and assumptions can be completely disrupted by an event of this type. Dorset History Centre holds over 1,000 years of records relating to our county and we thought that it would be appropriate to… Read more The Arrival of the Black Death in Dorset