This book of over 200 old photographs shows the town of Dorchester over
the last 150 years, as it changed from Thomas Hardy's Casterbridge into
the modern town. Early photographs show the town Hardy knew as a young
man, and the latest ones take the story up to the Coronation in 1953.
Fordington, Frome Whitfield and Coker's Frome are included, along with
every part of the town. The chronological approach used shows the
changes in the townscape over the last 150 years, and the many people
illustrated give a good idea of life in the town over the same period.
Dorchester's industries, shops, celebrations and buildings are all
represented, along with individual townspeople like Job Green, a retired
shepherd; William Tilley, Mayor of Dorchester and Harry Crocker with his
band. Only a very few photographs in this book were used in the same
author's Dorchester Camera (1984). This new selection of photographs
comes from the unrivalled collections at the Dorset County Museum. Jo
Draper has written several books on the county, including Dorset: The
Complete Guide and (with John Fowles) Thomas Hardy's England. She
lives in Dorchester, in one of the houses illustrated in the book.
