Patterns in paper: an introduction to watermarks found within Record Office collections

Have you ever held an historic document up to the light, noticed an image or pattern within the paper and wondered how it got there and why? These images can tell us a great deal about the manufacture and date of the paper and much more. In this blog, using examples from documents within our collections, you can see a fascinating range of the designs that were used and some of the stories they can tell. … Read More Patterns in paper: an introduction to watermarks found within Record Office collections

New collections: From 600 year old deeds to the Eurovision Song Contest!

Did you know that we regularly receive material to add to our archive collections? Our latest blog coincides with our new temporary exhibition, in which you can see a wide range of items that have recently been added to our collections – from 600 year old deeds to items from the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest when it was held in Harrogate in 1982. … Read More New collections: From 600 year old deeds to the Eurovision Song Contest!

How members of Yorkshire Women’s Institutes became ‘Aunties’ of displaced people in Germany

In 1957, the Yorkshire Federation of Women’s Institutes ‘adopted’ the residents of a camp in Rendsburg, Germany. This camp housed people of various nationalities who had been displaced during WW2. The WIs provided support by writing letters and sending parcels of food, clothing, bedding, toiletries and medicines. This blog explores the remarkable bond formed between the WIs and the camp residents, told through a collection of surviving papers and images in our archive collections.… Read More How members of Yorkshire Women’s Institutes became ‘Aunties’ of displaced people in Germany