We recently had a donation of photographs to the Dorset History Centre, with little information. We knew they belonged to the Morrice Family who lived at the (now-demolished) Glebe House in Weymouth. Included amongst the photographs were photos of the grand Glebe House: Also included in the donation was a handwritten diary from 1856. There… Read more Discovering Stories in Archive Collections
Do come and join us for a glimpse into Dorset’s summers past. Over-dressed Victorians, hard-working Edwardians, Fair folk and sporting lasses from the twenties – Dorset History Centre houses thousands of photos. On 17th August we will be displaying images drawn from a wide range of archive collections illustrating summers in Dorset over the last… Read more Dorset’s Summer Past photography exhibition
A small collection regarding Askerswell Village has recently been donated to Dorset History Centre. The collection was compiled by Askerswell resident Martin Evans and shows a great insight into the village life throughout the twentieth century. In 1993, Evans created the Focus 1893 exhibition – an exhibition that looked back at the last 100 years of… Read more Memories of a Small Village
Dorset History Centre acquired this album of beautiful albumen prints recently. Whilst the front cover is missing and there is some foxing to the pages, the prints are in remarkably good condition considering the age of them. Albumen prints date from 1850 when they were invented by Louis Désiré Blanquat-Evrard and were in regular use… Read more Albumen Prints of Bournemouth and Beyond
Let’s take a trip back 70 years to 1954, when The Pavilion Theatre on Weymouth Pier was destroyed in a devastating fire. History Sat in a prime position in Weymouth Harbour, The Pavilion opened on 21st December 1908, offering locals and tourists a go-to spot for performances. Over the years, it evolved from hosting lively… Read more Capturing the Blaze: Fire on Weymouth Seafront
**This blog post was edited on 30 May 2022 to give the answers at the end of the competition. The competition is now closed. Thank-you to everyone who took part!** — Subscribers to our newsletter may recognise the feature ‘where was this photograph taken?‘ through which we have sent snapshots of Dorset to our readers… Read more Where was this photograph taken?
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
As we all make our final preparations for the big day, at Dorset History Centre we thought we’d take a moment of quiet and reflection and take a look at Christmases past. There are some fantastic photographs in the Herbert Collection showing Weymouth in the 1960s that capture the mood and anticipation of this festive… Read more A Very Weymouth Christmas
The invention of photography coincided with an unprecedented advancement of technology and science, transport and communication. It was also a time of great inequality, poverty and the desire for social reform. Photography allowed the documentation of all of this as ‘real-life’ images, having previously relied on artists interpretations. It changed the way people perceived themselves and the world around them. We are all likely… Read more Archival Types – Photographs
In recent times we have published requests for Coronavirus diaries and other media, we have told you more about who we are, and what we do; and we have shared with you an example of what records from centuries ago can tell us about how (or how not) to manage during a crisis. In the… Read more Save your records!
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