Harvesting, Frederick William Newton Whitehead, 1880s
The social history collection at Dorset County Museum contains over 10,000 objects relating to trade, transport, schooling, popular belief, domestic life, rural crafts, industry and agriculture in the county of Dorset since the beginning of the 19th century.
The Skyrme collection of agricultural tools and domestic implements forms the basis of these collections and was donated to the Museum in 1970. Other notable items in the social history collection include two farm wagons, a steam traction engine and a butcher's cart.
Because of the need to illuminate the life and environment of the people of Dorset, care has been taken to acquire objects for the social history collection only where good evidence of their use exists and where full provenances are available in regard to the objects use, production or association with Dorset people, institutions or places.
COLLECTION HIGHLIGHT
The Moule Dry-Earth Closet
Selected by the BBC and the British Museum as one of its objects that help tell ‘The History of the World’, the Reverend Henry Moule of Dorchester invented this composting toilet in 1859.
Moule discovered that dry earth mixed with human waste produced clean compost in just a few weeks. A religious man, Moule disapproved of the Water Closet because it polluted rivers and he believed the nutrients from excrement should be returned to the soil.
In 1873 Moule took out a patent on this design which consisted of a hopper behind the seat holding dry earth or peat with a removable bucket placed below. When the handle is pulled, a small quantity of earth is spread on top of the human waste to reduce the smell and help it to decay. When the bucket is full, the contents are dug into the garden.
Moule’s closets were still being sold by the Army and Navy Stores in 1908, then costing about 30 shillings.
The Antelope Hotel (now Antelope Walk)
THE JACKMAN COLLECTION OF 19TH CENTURY TRADING BILLS
Invoices of various businesses, mainly in Dorchester.
Here we show a selection, with historical commentary;
a window into the commercial life of the period (illustrated with lush typography).
Follow this link to see more.
Research by P. D. Anthes and L. Mutti 2008