Collection: Museum of East Dorset

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Cornucopia)

  Social History Collection

  This is the major strength of the museum with artefacts and records relating to the crafts of tinsmith, blacksmith, woodworker, shoemaker, hurdle-maker, thatcher, wheelwright and saddler; domestic life from the 18th century; local shops, trades and industries, particularly ironmongery and stationery (with over 300 unsold Victorian Valentine cards) and the collection from the Witchampton Paper Mills; material about local schools; local sports and leisure; public services and utilities such as health and welfare, police and the fire service; local government; and memorabilia about civilian life in the Second World War. Toys and dolls make up one of the most important aspects of the collection with some fine Victorian dolls and an early Steiff blank-button bear. 20th century material is actively collected. Coles Ironmongers and Low’s Stationers were both shops which formerly occupied the Priest’s House.

  Subjects

  Social History

  Geology Collection

  This small collection has mainly been collected by local enthusiasts and derives from Dorset.

  Subjects

  Geology

  Medals Collection

  There is a selection of commemorative medals. Schools medals feature strongly in this collection.

  Subjects

  Medals

  Transport Collection

  Human, horse-powered, motor-powered and rail transport are all represented in this small collection.

  Subjects

  Transport

  Agriculture Collection

  There are 19th and 20th century items on the themes of agriculture, livestock, dairying and animal husbandry. There is a good collection of horse brasses.

  Subjects

  Agriculture

  Decorative and Applied Art Collection

  There is a range of ceramics from the 18th century onwards and a good collection of commemorative ware representing royal events and Wimborne.

  Subjects

  Decorative and Applied Arts

  Fine Art Collection

  This collection comprises local prints, drawings and engravings and includes the 1950s work of local artist Richard Curtis.

  Subjects

  Fine Art

  Archaeology Collection

  There are local finds and excavated objects from various periods. Most notable are the archive and finds from excavations at Wimborne and from the Roman villa at Tarrant Hinton, which includes large amounts of painted wall plaster.

  Subjects

  Archaeology

  Costume and Textile Collection

  There are clothes and accessories from the 18th century to the present day, including 1950s items left over from Mr Dacombe’s, a local travelling salesman’s, stock. The Dorset buttons, fans and 26 samplers dating from 1787 to 1888 are of particular interest.

  Subjects

  Costume and Textile

  Photographic Collection

  There are many local images. The Coles family, who donated the original collections for the museum, gave photographic albums with images of Wimborne and surrounding villages as well as albums of family photographs. These form an important element of this collection, together with a collection of plate glass negatives taken by Sir Kaye le Fleming, a local historian, in the 1920s.

  Subjects

  Photography

  Archives Collection

  There is a large ephemera collection as well as archive material from the Second World War; local education material; and other papers and documents relating to other aspects of the museum’s collection.

  Subjects

  Archives

  Other

  Biology; Ethnography; Medicine; Music; Personalia; Arms and Armour; Oral history

  Source: Cornucopia

  Date: Not known, but before 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC