records

The records of Adoption and Care-experienced people – preserving life stories at risk of destruction

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Dorset Council has become one of the first local authorities to formally extend the retention period (i.e. the timeframe that documents are kept prior to review and potential destructions) for the records of adopted and care-experienced people.  Until recently, adoption records have had a 100-year retention period after which they may be retained, or equally… Read more The records of Adoption and Care-experienced people – preserving life stories at risk of destruction

Cataloguing the Yellow Buses Archive

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Thanks to the cataloguing grant supplied by the Business Archives Council, Dorset History Centre were able to catalogue the archive collection of Bournemouth Transport Ltd (also known as Yellow Buses). The company began as Bournemouth Corporation Tramways, originating at the start of the twentieth-century with trams and trolley-bus services until they were modernised in the… Read more Cataloguing the Yellow Buses Archive

The Dorset Postcard Collection – Bournemouth

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When did you last send a postcard? For many of us, postcards are reserved for summer holidays, and even then they have largely been eclipsed by texts and video calls. But in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the postcard was a hugely popular means of communication. By the end of King Edward VII’s… Read more The Dorset Postcard Collection – Bournemouth

World Radio Day: Photographing Dorchester’s Radio Past

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Last week we shared with you a snapshot of the old radio station in Dorchester. This week, we wanted to take a further look at this station through the scope of two recently digitised photograph albums… — In the latter half of 2024 we had the pleasure of digitising two very large photographic albums that… Read more World Radio Day: Photographing Dorchester’s Radio Past

World Radio Day: Remembering Dorchester Radio Station

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What is World Radio Day? Earlier this month, the 13th February marked ‘World Radio Day’. First designated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 2011, this international day celebrates radio as “one of the most dependable and widely utilized forms of media in the world” (UNESCO). World Radio Day celebrates radio’s ability… Read more World Radio Day: Remembering Dorchester Radio Station

Finding stories of changing attitudes to gender

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February marks LGBTQ+ history month. Our new Principal Archivist Claire has taken some time to reflect on gender representation in historic archives… — I have always felt a bit wary of the idea of having separate months for particular communities because of the implication that community is only entitled to be remembered one month out… Read more Finding stories of changing attitudes to gender

“Our Journal at Winterbourn St. Martins”: An Introduction

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Earlier this year, we came across a curious diary in our library here at Dorset History Centre. Written in 1872, Our Journal at Winterbourn St. Martins is a personal diary written by a Miss Berry Dallas during her visit to Dorset. Joined by her younger sister Helen, Berry stayed with Major Charles Clapcott and his… Read more “Our Journal at Winterbourn St. Martins”: An Introduction

Introducing our new Principal Archivist

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Last autumn, Jacqui Halewood, Dorset History Centre’s long-standing Principal Archivist retired. We were joined in November by Claire Skinner, stepping into the role with us, and in today’s blog we wanted to introduce you to Claire… — January is traditionally a time both to look back and to look forwards. I would therefore like to… Read more Introducing our new Principal Archivist