Save Herbert's Weymouth

by Dorset History Centre in Weymouth, England, United Kingdom

We did it
On 13th December 2017 we successfully raised £2,992 with 116 supporters in 35 days

Help save local photographer Graham Herbert's fascinating record of life in 20th century Weymouth

by Dorset History Centre in Weymouth, England, United Kingdom

We need to raise £8000 by 13 December to save an amazing collection of Weymouth photographs for the future

The Herbert Collection

The Herbert Collection is a unique record of the social history of Weymouth between 1953 and 1983. Graham Herbert was a professional photographer, supplying images to the Dorset Echo and always on the scene to capture local events. 

The collection reflects so many diverse aspects of local life, including festivals and performances; shop displays and interiors; street scenes and every-day occurrences; and agricultural and industrial work.

The Herbert Collection was transferred to Dorset History Centre in 2006. Since then we have been working to digitise the negatives, starting with the earliest and worst affected by vinegar syndrome. We have won funding awards and developed partnerships to allow the work to continue. Most recently, digitisation company TownsWeb Archiving awarded us £5000 of their services as part of a national competition. This is fantastic and will allow us to save many more of the negatives. But there will still be lots left to digitise - and that is why we need your help. 

Race against time

The negatives are suffering from vinegar syndrome - an irreversible process of decay. Over time the negatives start to bubble and the image is distorted. We have already managed to digitise the worst affected negatives in the collection. Despite storing in cool and dry conditions it is only a matter of time before the rest of the negatives show visible signs of deterioration. 


The power of memories

Images already digitised have been used with great success in reminiscence sessions with older people and with groups of adults with learning disabilities. Very positive feedback from these sessions shows the power of photographs to spark memories. One participant said “some of those photos – I was still alive, I can see my friends. I think about things I can't do now”, and another "I thoroughly enjoyed it. I feel full of happiness now.'' We will seek to continue this work, encouraging more people to re-connect with their history.

Before we can make the collection fully accessible we need to digitise the remaining negatives and would love your help. 

How will the negatives be digitised?

Specialist digitisation company TownsWeb Archiving will create digital copies of the negatives using their expertise and professional equipment. Each negative will be carefully removed from its packet, placed on a light-box and captured at a high resolution. 

We will keep the digital images in our digital repository system - storage with the same security and preservation assurances as we provide for our paper and parchment archives. The system actively manages the digital archives: making copies, monitoring for corruption, migrating old formats to new, and repairing damaged files. 

With your support, Dorset History Centre can save this fascinating piece of Weymouth's history for all to enjoy. Please help spread news of the project on social media as well as emailing it to friends and family. 

About us

Dorset History Centre is the home of Dorset's archives and local studies collections. We collect, preserve and share Dorset's past for the present and future generations to enjoy.  Dorset Archives Trust is a registered charity which supports Dorset History Centre in looking after Dorset's documentary heritage. 

Thank you for your support.

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£8 or more

£8 Reward

Individual membership of Dorset Archives Trust for 1 year

£10 or more

16 of 100 claimed

£10 Reward

Set of 4 postcards featuring images already digitised from the Herbert Collection. See Updates page for images of postcards.

£10 or more

£10 Reward

Couple or family group membership of Dorset Archives Trust for 1 year

£20 or more

10 of 50 claimed

£20 Reward

Two sets of 4 postcards featuring images already digitised from the Herbert Collection. See Updates page for images of postcards.

£25 or more

3 of 50 claimed

£25 Reward

Three sets of 4 postcards featuring images already digitised from the Herbert Collection. See Updates page for images of postcards.

£30 or more

4 of 50 claimed

£30 Reward

Four sets of 4 postcards featuring images already digitised from the Herbert Collection. See Updates page for images of postcards.

£35 or more

£35 Reward

Digital copy of the c.1840 tithe map and an historic OS map of your choice of Dorset parish

£50 or more

0 of 50 claimed

£50 Reward

A3 poster print of an image already digitised from the Herbert Collection. Choose from postcard images as shown on the Updates page.

£75 or more

3 of 10 claimed

£75 Reward

One to one Ancestry.co.uk tuition - find out how to make the best use of family history records available via Ancestry. One hour at Dorset History Centre, time to be arranged.

£150 or more

0 of 10 claimed

£150 Reward

Book binding workshop with Conservator Jenny Barnard. 3 hours, time to be arranged.

£150 or more

0 of 8 claimed

£150 Reward

One to one session to explore your family history. Two hours at Dorset History Centre, time to be arranged.

£150 or more

0 of 8 claimed

£150 Reward

One to one session to explore the history of the area in which you live. Two hours at Dorset History Centre, time to be arranged

£300 or more

0 of 2 claimed

£300 Reward

Discover what goes on behind-the-scenes on a VIP tour of Dorset History Centre with County Archivist Sam Johnston, followed by afternoon tea with the team. Up to 4 people, time to be arranged.

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