DCMVOX #020 July 2017

#020 – July 2017

Dorset County Museum Volunteer Newsletter Dates for Your Diary:

Welcome to Issue No.20 of DCMVOX… Items for the “My Favourite Object” or any other suggestions, welcome for the next and subsequent issues or DCMVOX. E-mail offerings to Anna on secretary@dorsetcountymuseum.org - thank you!

Thursday 6th July Private View of the Under the Surface 9.00am Do Join David West for a personal guided tour of the current temporary Exhibition

Tomorrow’s Museum for Dorset Update ...

Where we are….

We have now submitted our Stage 2 application to the Heritage Lottery Fund. As you know, this is an important moment where the HLF will decided whether our developed plans and committed funding mean that the project can go ahead and their grant of c£10m released.

We expect to hear a decision from HLF in September.

Thursday 13th July Lunch Time Concert Dorchester Piano Quartet 1.00pm to 2.00pm Thursday 20th July Lunch Time Concert Tumlyn Brass Quintet 1.00pm TO 2.00pm Thursday 27th July Hardy Talk Helen Angear Mr Hardy and Mrs Henniker 7.00pm for 7.30pm

Main Exhibition: 8th April to 6th January 2018 David West: Under the Surface An exhibition of paintings and carvings

Tea Room 12th June to 9th September Martinstown Botanical Group

Many of you will have recently received a letter from Jon or Peter, updating you on our progress. Along with a copy of the Tomorrow’s Museum for Dorset brochure.

We are pleased to say we have had some more fundraising successes with the Wolfson Foundation and the Sackler Trust both coming on board to support the project with significant grants.

However, we still have a further £1.6m left to raise before we can make our vision a reality. We have approached Members of the Society and Volunteers at the Museum to ask if they might be able to make a contribution.

A donation, large or small, will help realise Tomorrow’s Museum for Dorset. There are many ways in which you can give to make your donation both easy for you and as valuable as possible for the Museum.

If you would like to find out more, please do come and talk to Gabby in the Project office (the room next to Anna’s desk) or get in touch on 01305 7568354 or development@dorsetcountymuseum.org For all the latest updates and news, please visit www.tomorrowsmuseumfordorset.org and sign up to the enewsletter for the latest developments.

Dorset County Museum, High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1XA Tel: 01305 262735 - www.dorsetcountymuseum.org

Visitor Quote of the Month:

Have you seen Dippy in the Borough Gardens?

Canadian Visitors The Fine Arts team recently had a visit from a great-great granddaughter of Henry Joseph Moule, the first curator of DCM. Lynda McGavin is a descendant of John Frederick Moule, the youngest son of Henry Joseph, who emigrated to Canada where Lynda and her family live. Lynda and her husband were given a tour of the museum by David James, and then welcomed to Old School, which houses the Fine Art reserve collection. In this collection we have thousands of beautiful watercolours by H J Moule, mostly in the catalogues which he compiled and annotated. These watercolours depict nineteenth century rural Dorset and many of its beautiful buildings; from churches to tithe barns to grand houses. H J Moule created a unique record of the county, and by keeping these beautiful images hidden away, they are as fresh today as the day they were painted.

It is hoped that in the enlarged, climate-controlled exhibition spaces of the new building, we will be able to reveal some of these works of art to the public.

“non omnis moriar” Whilst researching the writer Sylvia Townsend Warner, and Valentine Ackland the poet, I discovered that they are buried together in the churchyard at Chaldon Herring (East Chaldon). On their gravestone are the words “non omnis moriar” which translates as “I shall not wholly die”.

It struck me that this is why I volunteer at DCM; to keep alive the memories of those talented individuals who make up Dorset’s rich cultural history. With Jon Murden’s approval I have had these words placed at the top of the staircase in Old School. Each time I climb the stairs to Fine Arts, I am reminded of what I am there to do. Please do take a look next time you are volunteering.

Linda Roberts

Welcome to our new volunteers….

folk to join us. Volunteers for ‘Dippy’ should first contact Cathy by email on

been sampling many of our Teams.

Front of House/Tea Room are still in need of volunteers—ideally suited to anyone who likes working with a wide variety of people!

We are pleased to welcome three new accredited volunteers this month: Scott volunteeringasst@dorsetcountymuseum.org or leave a message for her at the MuDarby to Digitisation, Rose Davies to seum (with your contact details).

Front of House and Luisa Lombardo who is working with Jenny Cripps in On the academic front, which is of WE NEED YOU—PLEASE HELP US Collections Management. There are course an important part of our role as New volunteers are always welseveral new volunteers working their a Museum, we have had three interns way through the system towards accome, but we are not able to offer working on projects with us: John creditation, and meanwhile Cathy B placements to anyone aged under 18 ; Walkington who is sampling all aspects and I are processing many applications it would be a great help if you would of Museum life from Maintenance to to become volunteers in the ‘Dippy on make this clear to anyone who exSocial History, Clare Drinkell who Tour’ team. We still need volunteers, presses an interest in joining us. worked on a Master’s Project with Liz both regular and ‘Dippy’ so please conSelby in Exhibitions Development, and tinueIfencouraging Jill Minchin you would like to receive this newsletter by email please send your contact details to Catherine Howlett, who has like John, Gabriella Crouch on development@dorsetcountymuseum.org