A newsletter for Dorset History Centre, the Historic Environment Record, Portable Antiquities Scheme, and Dorset Archives Trust: working together to support the preservation of Dorset's history.
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Unlocking the Thomas Hardy Archive
** Welcome to March's newsletter!
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We are delighted to welcome you to this Thomas Hardy-themed newsletter. It is a time of new beginnings at Dorset History Centre, as we launch into the exciting 18-month ‘Unlocking Hardy Project’, beginning on Monday 11 April. Dorset Archives Trust was delighted to head up the fundraising campaign for this important project.
Just before Christmas, we were pleased to announce that the fundraising target of £68,000 had been reached. This was achieved through the help of grants from The National Archives, the Cooper Dean, Valentine & National Trusts, as well as generous donations from many private donors who could Gift Aid their contribution via Dorset Archives Trust.
This project will open and catalogue the 150+ boxes which comprise the unique UNESCO Heritage registered Hardy Archive, making it accessible to all. I am sure that it will uncover many hidden gems about Thomas Hardy’s life and work - which in turn will give new insights about the characters in and the settings of his novels and poetry. Hardy’s literature has inspired generation after generation, and now so much more will be known about this amazing author.
We are grateful to all that supported the fundraising, with special thanks to Julian Fellowes who took time from his busy schedule to come to the History Centre and talk about Hardy
and the project.
Please consider joining Dorset Archives Trust to help our work.
You can join or donate here
.
Carola Campbell
Chairman
Dorset Archives Trust
** Introducing Project Archivist Ruth Burton
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Hello everyone – I will be coming to Dorset History Centre to catalogue the Thomas Hardy archive. I am coming from the University of Leeds, where I have been working in Special Collections for the last 7 years. At Leeds I have been fortunate to work with a wide range of material from medieval manuscripts to modern literary archives, including the archive of the current poet laureate Simon Armitage.
I have been involved in all aspects of Special Collections work – from the acquisition of material to planning exhibitions and giving talks, and have previously catalogued the archive of the poet and art critic Herbert Read, and the correspondence of the Rossetti family. I have a great love of English literature, and was awarded my PhD from the School of English at Leeds in 2016. I am very much looking forward to beginning my role as Thomas Hardy Project Archivist in mid-March, and to meeting many of you soon.
** A recent Thomas Hardy purchase
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Recently, Dorset Archives Trust has funded the purchase of an important letter relating to Hardy.
This single letter from Thomas Hardy to Alfred de Lafontaine of Athelhampton House (accession 11995) ties Hardy’s career as a budding architect to one of the key Dorset structures that he is known to have worked on. Athelhampton church, located some 4 miles east of Dorchester close to the elegant country house of the same name was constructed in 1861-62. The plans for the church in Hardy’s own hand were purchased by Dorset History Centre in 2023 with substantial support from the Friends of the National Libraries.
Acquiring this letter (Vol V, p.198, of the Collected Letters) in which Hardy writes to Alfred de Lafontaine the then owner of Athelhampton confirms the author’s close involvement in the planning and construction of the church. It helps to inform us of Hardy’s earlier incarnation as aspiring architect and draughtsman before the literary calling took over. It is particularly gratifying to have been able to acquire the plans and the letter in such quick succession although the provenance in each case was very different. Hardy’s appreciation of, and strong opinions on, the built environment were things that stayed with him throughout his life.
Find out more about this letter
** Volunteering for the Thomas Hardy Project
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We understand that people are keen to offer their time to helping catalogue this exciting collection, and we know that Dorset Magazine recently published an article about the project
and our need for volunteers to help with it.
We will be looking to recruit volunteers once Ruth is settled. Most likely it will be sometime around late spring or early summer when we are in a position to accept applications.
We would encourage anyone interested in volunteering to keep your eyes peeled on our website and here in our newsletters, where all opportunities will be published in due course.
Thank you for your patience!
Information about volunteering at Dorset History Centre
** Work Experience at Dorset History Centre
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To step away from Hardy for a moment, we are pleased to announce that we are now welcoming expressions of interest for our work experience placements this coming summer.
The work experience period will be for 4 weeks between Monday 24 June and Friday 19 July 2024. We have 2 places available for enthusiastic undergraduate students.
If you would like to learn more about these opportunities, please get in touch via the link below. In the meantime, you can read what last year's students, Molly and Ben, got up to via their blogs:
Molly's experience
Ben's experience
Get in touch to learn more about work experience opportunities
** Do you know where this picture is?
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In the last newsletter we shared this image with you and challenged you to identify where it was taken.
Many readers correctly spotted that this was taken at the top of the High Street in Shaftesbury. Out of frame on the left would be the building where Gold Hill Museum now resides.
As always, thank you to everyone who got in touch with their guesses!
This time, we have a rather challenging image to test you! Taken from the Thomas Hardy archive, we think this image might give those grey cells a workout!
As an extra challenge for you this time, if you would like to hazard a guess at the exact street that this picture was taken on, then feel free to do so. As always, if you think you know where the photograph was taken then please get in touch via the link below with your guess, and we will reveal the answer in the next newsletter.
Where was this picture taken?
** Get involved with Dorset Archives Trust
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Dorset Archives Trust (DAT) works to support the activities of the Dorset History Centre in saving, preserving and making accessible Dorset’s archival heritage. By becoming a member you can support us in this vital role.
Join DAT to:
* attend evening talks, activities and behind the scenes tours, including an annual exclusive members only event
* get a discounted rate on DAT events
* support the work of the Dorset History Centre
* discover stories of Dorset’s past
* share an interest in Dorset archives
DAT welcome all new members and would encourage anyone with an interest in the heritage of Dorset to join us.
Join DAT here!
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