News and events
News
Collection of the month
Details of our collection of the month will appear on our Facebook and Twitter pages. You do not need to sign up to either site to see our posts.
Newsletter
Our ninth 'What's in store' newsletter published in December 2011 can be downloaded from our newsletters page.
Local historian celebrates 50 years of research
Congratulations go to Mr Brian Moseley who celebrated 50 years of undertaking local history research on Friday 2 December.
On Saturday 2 December 1961, Brian entered the then Devon and Cornwall Collection Room in the Central Library in Plymouth for the first time looking for an old map. Read all about Brian's experience on his Plymouth Data website.
This was the start of his research which resulted in the Plymouth Data website, one of the best websites on Plymouth's history and often quoted on our online catalogue.
On Friday 2 December 2011 he celebrated his 50 years with staff of the History Room in the Central Library and the staff of the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office.
Louisa Mann, City Archivist, said "This is a fantastic achievement. The Record Office is glad to assist anyone who wants to find out about their local or family history whether they are brand new to it or expert like Mr Moseley!"
We now await next year when we can celebrate 10 years of the Plymouth Data website and 60 years of the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office.
Competitions
Enter our competition for a chance to win £250.
Enter the LGBT photography competition for a chance to win £250
The deadline on this competion has been extended. Have you taken a snap that embraces the theme of LGBT Life in Plymouth past and present or have a photo in your collection that fits the theme? If so then send them in for a chance to win £250 (other prizes may be announced before the closing date). Entry is open to everyone and you can enter as many photos as you like. For further information about the competition visit the
LGBT website. Details about the LGBT Archive is on the
LGBT Archive website.
Win a Digital SLR Camera (This competition is now closed)
Plymouth City Market in partnership with FotoNow and Plymouth and West Devon Record Office had an exciting competition this festive season, with the chance to win a fantastic digital camera! The winner and runner-up will have their image archived in the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office for future generations to see! For more information on the competition and the Plymouth Market Archive, please visit the
Plymouth Market Archive page. Images can also be found on the
Fotonow Flickr website.
Win a pair of diamond earings worth £250 (This competition is now closed)
Shoppers in the Plymouth City Market had the chance to complete a Christmas crossword to be in with the chance of winning a fabulous pair of diamond earings. The crossword came from a Christmas magazine from 1959 held in the Record Office. For more information on the competition and the Plymouth Market Archive, please visit the
Plymouth Market Archive page
Digital imaging project - now complete
The Plymouth and West Devon Record Office is proud to announce the conclusion of a three year project to catalogue and make available digitally around 11,000 images of Plymouth. The images come from Plymouth Central Library’s Local Studies collection and thanks to the work of staff and volunteers from the record office, these are now fully keyword-searchable and available on our online archive catalogue page.
These images tell the story of Plymouth throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, a time when Plymouth has undergone considerable change and development. The earliest image is a black and white print of the Royal Hotel, Theatre and Athenaeum, (PCC/76/5/11190) shows an almost unidentifiable scene of the area around the current Theatre Royal and Reel Cinema.
The collection also marks the destructive force of the Second World War with various images of war damage on a frightening scale. One black and white photograph of George Street (PCC/76/5/313) shows extensive damage to the Prudential building, the Western Morning News building, Frankfort Street and King Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel.
Access to the images and their descriptions is completely free through our online archive catalogue page and copies of the images can be purchased for a small fee. Contact us at pwdro@plymouth.gov.uk for more information or to book an appointment to view the original photographs and prints.
Devonport Park in the frame at record office photography competition
The winning images from this years photography competition have been announced. Young People were asked to take images of what they like about, or what they like doing in Devonport Park. The winning images were selected by a public vote at Devonport Park Fun Day on Sunday.
Both the winning image and the runner-up were submitted by Mount Wise Youth Project who win a nice digital camera.
Events
Family History Day, Plymouth Central Library
Saturday 11 February 2012, 10am to 3.30pm
Want to know more about your family history? Drop in to the Central Library for free help and advice on genealogy and tracing your family tree with experts from Plymouth City Council's Library Service and Record Office, plus volunteers from the Devon Family History Society.
Programme of talks
Bookings for the talks is essential. Telephone 01752 305908, email library@plymouth.gov.uk or visit the History Room in the Central Library.
- Dating family photographs - 11am to 11.30am
Graham Naylor, Plymouth Library Services
- 'Buried not at Sea' - 11.45am to 12.15pm
Alan Barclay, Plymouth and West Devon Record Office
- Using newspapers in your family history research - 2pm to 2.30pm
Graham Naylor, Plymouth Library Services
- Find My Past and other family history resources at the Plymouth & West Devon Record Office - 2.45pm to 3.15pm
Alan Barclay, Plymouth and West Devon Record Office
For more information email library@plymouth.gov.uk or telephone 01752 305908.
Walk with History, Central Park, Plymouth,
Saturday 25 February, 10.45am for 11am start
Our first walk of 2012 will be around Central Park and starts from the park entrance adjacent to the Ford Park Cemetery Lodge at the bottom of Ford Park Road/ Central Park Avenue. To book a place on the walk, please email walkswithhistory@gmail.com or see the Walking for Health website for details.
If you're taking part in the Plymouth Herald's 'Love Life' campaign or the Council's 'Walk 500 Miles' challenges, then why not join us on our walk and learn some facts about Plymouth's history along the way.
If you haven't already done so, you can sign up to the 'Love Life' campaign on The Herald's Love Life Campaign website and make you miles count.
New walkers to our group will be asked to register and complete a health questionare prior to the walk.
If the walk is oversubscribed, we will look to offer the walk again later the same day or on another day.
Family History Workshop, Plymouth Record Office
Monday 16 April 2012 and Saturday 21 April 2012, 10am to 3.15pm
The Devon Family History Society and the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office are running family history workshop.
The day will include:
- An introduction to Ancestry and Find My Past websites, followed by practical use of the sites
- A tour behind the scenes of the Record Office
- Guidance on how to use the family history room
The cost is £10 for the day and includes tea and coffee. You will need to bring your own lunch or use a nearby snack bar.
There are a limited number of places available so please call us on 01752 305940 or email pwdro@plymouth.gov.uk to book your place.
Once we have confirmed your place we can accept payment in the following ways:
- Online - by credit/debit card (please ask us for a reference number before paying this way)
- Telephone - by credit/debit card
- Post - by postal order or cheque (made payable to Plymouth City Council)
- In person at our search room - by cash, postal order or cheque
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