It's part of an artificial collection of random letters (D364). We're not sure who collected them originally, but it may have been Col J R Colville, who was a local historian.

A letter written in black ink on cream paper from William Martyn in London to Thomas Cole in Devon on 13 October 1681.

Our #ArchiveOfTheWeek is this 1681 letter, in which William Martyn in London complains about a mortifying rumour that had reached his family in Devon, "a mere sham in my Mothers sickness to alienate her affections from me". The rumour? That he was courting the King's mistress, Nell Gwyn 😱

A long thin strip of green paper. Printed on it is the text: Tea vouchers No 1.

On #NationalTeaDay this is the first tea voucher issued to county council staff after their move from Derby to Matlock on 31 March 1958 - as far as we know we don't have a picture of either the colleague delivering the tea or the tea trolley...

Colour photograph of a small slightly dirty basement room containing a large messy pile of cardboard boxes, bags and some metal chests on shelves on the right hand side.

Arguably, an archivist is trained to throw things away, that is to identify which records should be permanently preserved and which should not. Visit our blog for more #AboutAppraisals and the archivist's role in selecting records: recordoffice.wordpre...
#Archive30

An engraved image showing large buildings ornately decorated. The middle building straddles the corner junction of a street and has 'royal hotel' written above it. The neighbouring building has 'post office' written above it. The second to last building in the picture has 'Derby and Derbyshire Banking Company' written above it. In the street below are various people in Victorian dress, including many horses and carriages.

This engraving from around 1850 shows the Athaneum Royal Hotel, Post Office and Derby and Derbyshire Banking Co buildings in Derby. If you know Derby at all, this scene still looks somewhat familiar, albeit changed. The buildings still exist on the junction of Cornmarket and Albert Street.

Here’s a short video showing what digital preservation involves. In this case, a file only works from a CD and can’t just be copied to our network—so we have to convert it into a playable format.

#Archive30 #DigitalPreservation

A photograph of a stack of blue-grey boxes, all different sizes and heights. They have all been tied up with unbleached cotton tape.

When our Conservation Team have been busy packaging a collection, it's hard not to think of Christmas or birthdays!

#ArchivePresent #Archive30

A police car in 1973. It is a BMW 5 Series, white with a stripe along the side and the Derbyshire Constabulary crest on the drivers door. On the roof is a large light up sign saying POLICE with a blue light on the top.

Are you a fan of TVs Traffic Cops? Do you enjoy seeing their cars full of modern gadgets and technology? Well, here’s the 1973 equivalent of the police cars of today. This is a BMW 5 Series used on the M1. No doubt a very different driving experience.

#EYACrime #PhotoFriday #1970s

Photograph showing an open aisle of grey mobile racking, with all the shelves on either side full of brown archive boxes. At the very end of the aisle a person is standing on a red platform ladder in order to take a box from the top shelf.

A close-up image of brown archive boxes on shelves.

A photograph showing large rolled items lying flat on grey metal racking. They have all been wrapped with either blue-grey or white archival wrapping paper.

Where would archives be without sturdy brown archive boxes, strong-yet-pliable archival wrapping paper and suitable ladders to get to the top shelves of mobile racking…

#ArchiveStorage #Archive30

A silhouetted rock formation at Stanage Edge against a vibrant orange and pink sunset.

Did you know the Peak District National Park is 75 today? To help celebrate, here is a great photo of a sunset at Stanage from their image archive. This shot is one of many thousands being catalogued by the #LandscapesUnlocked project. Will your favourite view be in the archive?
#PeakDistrict75

Brilliant! Thank you 😀

A page from a photograph album with nine snapshots from the 1920s. They are labelled Rio; Fjord,New Zealand; Oxen cart, Madeira; Santa Ana Cabaret, Manila; Franconia, Los Angeles; Honolulu; Broken rail in storm, Franconia [ship]; Manila lady.

One #ArchiveMyth is that local archive services only hold records about their area. Nothing could be further from the truth! Here for example is New Zealand, Brazil, Hawaii, Madeira, the Philippines and USA all on one page, courtesy of Cunard Line stewardess Nellie Hodgkins of Bolsover.
#Archive30

A softback book with a colourful cover. On the front cover are six wildlife photographs and images. Top left to top right: 1. Purple Pyramid Orchid, 2.Elephant Hawk Moth, 3. Robin (bird). Bottom left to bottom right: 4.Ink Cap Mushroom painting, 5. Badger, 6. Cinnabar bug. Between the top and bottom images is a green strapline with the title of the book in white lettering 'The Natural History of Baslow and Chatsworth. The birds, flowers, insects and wildlife of the Baslow area'.

With the warmer weather starting, this new book in our #LocalStudies library, 'The Natural History of Baslow and Chatsworth', is a fantastically colourful guide to birds, flowers, insects and wildlife of the Baslow area.

#spring #wildlife

A Pub Robbery in Chesterfield I recently came across some interesting examinations given as evidence for a robbery at the Green Man Pub in Chesterfield in October 1835. Luckily, I was also able to follow the story, and the outc…

In 1835, two men broke into the Green Man Pub in Chesterfield and stole various items, including spoons which they tried to sell to a pawnbroker's in Sheffield. Our latest blog post relates how the investigation unfolded and eventually led to both men being sent to Tasmania:

A close-up of a parchment document with a hole in it.

A conservator is paring a small piece of parchment with a scalpel, to make it the correct shape to fit the existing hole.

This image shows the pared repair piece of parchment partially stuck down with gelatine.

A parchment document with seal attached. It has a hole in the middle, which has been successfully repaired.

#ArchiveConservation also includes repairing documents on parchment. Here one of our conservators carries out such a repair, by paring down a new piece of parchment and adhering it to the original with gelatine.

#Archive30 #parchment

Cover of the box, featuring a large illustration of a fairy tale castle. It also has word written in Cyrillic alphabet.

The inside of the box, which contains nine smaller boxes, each depicting a scene from a different fairy tale.

A close-up of one of the small boxes with its lid removed, showing several empty black wrappers.

As today's #Archive30 theme is #UnusualArchives, we couldn't resist the temptation to share some chocolate 😃 This gorgeous East European chocolate box features images from fairy tales and even still has some - alas empty - wrappers.

#art #illustrations

Handwritten 1694 probate document of Thomas Wilson of Codnor, yeoman, including bequest of all his mathematical books and instruments to his kinsman John Harris.

Closeup image of handwritten 1694 probate document of Thomas Wilson of Codnor, with the words "mathematical bookes and instruments" highlighted

Our #ArchiveOfTheWeek is the 1694 will of Thomas Wilson of Codnor, who decided all his books would go to his namesake grandson, with one exception: his "mathematical bookes & instruments" go to John Harris, another relative - who would presumably value them more.

#HistScience

Open book of fabric swatches. The fabrics are highly colourful floral designs. Brief handwritten information is next to each swatch giving the details of chemicals used in the dyes.

Open book of fabric swatches. The fabrics are highly colourful designs showing flowers and birds. Brief handwritten information is next to each swatch giving the details of chemicals used in the dyes.

Here are some beautifully #ColourfulArchives from the Edmund Potter and Company collection. The firm was based in Glossop and produced wonderfully colourful fabrics during the 19th and 20th centuries. Edmund was also grandfather to author Beatrix Potter.
#Archive30 #histfashion

Holmes & Co. of Derby: Royal Carriage Makers Few people outside The Carriage Foundation will know the name Holmes & Co., even in Derby, where the company was headquartered for over 100 years. Not only was Holmes & Co. one of the most …

Thank you! We couldn't have done it without help from The Carriage Foundation and various grants - you can read more about this collection on our blog: recordoffice.wordpress.com/2024/07/08/h...

We always want to spend more time #CataloguingCollections but we've still published descriptions online for over 14000 records, files, books, periodicals, photographs and other material in the last 12 months. Thank you so much to our amazing Cataloguing Volunteers for their help!
#Archives30

A policeman in uniform and traditional policeman’s helmet stands by a square metal cabinet on a pole. A little door in the side is open, and he is talking into a telephone which he has taken from the cabinet. There is a small pull-down shelf where he has a notebook on which he is writing with a pencil.

This is PC Derek Smithurst using a police telephone box, in the Cornmarket, Derby c.1959. We particularly like the design feature of a little shelf for him to rest his notebook on while he takes down details.

#EYACrime #PhotoFriday#1950s #police

Hand-coloured engraving of a cricket match, in which all the players are women. The text below the image reads: 'On Wenesday [sic] October 3rd 1811 a singular Cricket Match took place at Balls Pond Newington. The players were 22 women, 11 Hampshire against 11 Surrey. The Match was made between two Amateur Noblemen of the respective Counties for 500 Guineas a side. The Performers in the Contest were of all Ages and Sizes.'

The first recorded women’s county cricket match was played on the 3rd of October 1811 between Hampshire and Surrey at Balls Pond on Newington Green, as drawn here by caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson. Hampshire won.

#SportArchives #Archive30 #cricket #art #caricature

Front cover of the book 'Beneath the Peak. Cave diving exploration in the Peak District' by Martin Wright. It features a full colour close-up photo of the face of a diver in full diving gear, swimming underwater in Peak Cavern.

Calling all armchair potholers and those contemplating giving it a go. ‘Pioneers Beneath The Peak ‘is Martin Wright’s authoritative history about the subterranean exploration in the cave systems within Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Now in our #LocalStudies library.

#potholing #cavediving

We’ve just added our latest #NewAccession, further papers of Bakewell Choral Society, into the archive — including concert programmes spanning 1979, when the Society was created, right through to 2011.
A harmonious slice of local history! 🎵✨

#LocalHistory #music

Photograph of a colourful plan entitled "County Offices (Extension)" showing "Basement Record Rooms" and "Ground Floor". The extension was built on St Mary's Gate in Derby in 1910, opposite the County Hall built in 1660 (now South Derbyshire Magistrates Court). Three of the stores shown in the plan continued to be used by the record office until 2013.

Derbyshire's first County Archivist, Joan Sinar, started in April 1962, but the county archives have a much longer history. Find out more in this article by one of our archivists or read the printed copy in our #LocalStudies library: archaeologydataservi...

#ArchivePast #Archive30

Calligraphic ink handwriting reading 'The Art of Writing in all the hands with variety of ornament. Arithmetick, Here Life and Ornament Togther Start And Nature Smiles in FLOURISHES of Aart Loos as ye CURLIN Tendrils of the Vines All Fancys Wanton Play yet all Corect DESIGN. Benjamin Wilson, Leeds, July ye 8th day Anno Dom. 1736', with eight ink drawn animals around the sides: squirrel, owl, dog, monkey, snail, butterfly, bird and dragon, and another bird above the name Benjamin Wilson.

Close-up of the drawing of the dragon.

Close-up of the drawing of the owl.

Our #ArchiveOfTheWeek are the papers of John and James Taylor, publishers and bankers who were based in London and Bakewell. Amongst them is this spectacular manuscript page by Benjamin Wilson FRS (1721-1788), featuring intricate drawings of animals.

#ArchiveAnimals #Archive30

Poster with title 'Building Works'. It explains that car park spaces will be limited while the work is ongoing and that there may be disruptions to our service. It advises everyone to check the Record Office website for details.

Work begins today to replace the roof of one of our buildings. Please keep an eye on our website for updates of possible service disruption: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/record-office/de...

Hand written letter, with text written both vertically and horizontally. The vertical text reads: "Winchester May 7th My dear Eleanor, I send you three pairs of tiny boots, which I hope you will like, two pairs are much longer and the smallest size will perhaps be useful at first. We are almost daily hoping to have joyful tidings of you. "

The "three pairs of tiny boots" that were sent to Eleanor Gell in 1851 when she was about to give birth to her second child certainly count as #SomethingSmall. But can you find where they are referred to on this cross-hatched letter?

#Archive30 #Victorian

An image showing a white mountain hare nestled among dark, rugged rocks and reddish-brown moorland vegetation. The hare is partially obscured by a rocky ledge, with only its head and distinctive long, black-tipped ears visible against a dark, shadowed background. The scene is captured with a shallow depth of field, making the hare the central focus amidst the textured landscape.

Did the Easter Bunny visit on Sunday? Here’s a glimpse of his wilder, and more elusive cousin the mountain hare in his winter coat snapped by a Peak Park photographer in 1994. Curiously, the bunny was originally a hare in German folklore, so maybe he did visit after all! #LandscapesUnlocked

A set of sixteen black and white photographs, one set of women and one set of men. The photographs show a side profile and straight on profile of each person's face. Each photograph is numbered and the next page against each reference number is a text recording the name, date of birth, physical description and summary of crimes of each person in photograph.

A fascinating glimpse into Derbyshire policing in the mid‑1930s to c.1940. This record series features photos, names, physical descriptions, and crime summaries for those who encountered Derbyshire Police — a remarkable resource for crime‑history sleuths.

#EYACrime #1930s #TrueCrime