Blog

Hughesovka; a Welsh Connection to Ukraine

Posted by Jessica Roberts, Fri, 06/10/2022 - 09:51

Ukraine and the Donbas region might seem a long way from Wales. But there are historical connections linking the two places. This blog, written by Dr Victoria Donovan, a Senior Lecturer in Russian and the Director of the Centre for Russian, Soviet, Central and East European Studies at the University of St Andrews, discusses the history of the Russian war against Ukraine, Welsh migration and industrialisation in the Donbas region and the complex legacy between European heritage and Russian imperialist ideology.

The West Wales Veterans' Archive

Posted by People's Collection Wales, Tue, 11/02/2021 - 10:16

The West Wales Veterans’ Archive on People’s Collection Wales was recently announced as the winner of the Community Archives and Heritage Group’s Contribution to Wellbeing Award. This blog takes a look at how this archive has evolved to include nearly 400 items, unearthing veterans’ experiences and capturing stories that have remained untold until now. They include contributions mainly from WW2 veterans and those who were conscripted into National Service from 1947-1961 and a small number who served in later conflicts and on peace-keeping duties.

Postcards from the past: libraries sharing the history of our seaside resorts through postcards

Posted by People's Collection Wales, Thu, 09/30/2021 - 12:21

In this blog, we dip into the social history of two seaside resorts in north and south Wales through a selection of historic postcards from the late 1890s to the 1930s, published by Rhyl Library and Barry Library (Vale of Glamorgan Libraries) on People’s Collection Wales.

Ice and Coal - and the Crandon's family history

Posted by People's Collection Wales, Wed, 09/01/2021 - 16:49

Elaine Dacey, who now lives in Sheffield, was raised in the village of Pantyscallog near Merthyr Tydfil in the 1950s. Most of her ancestors lived and worked in Pantyscallog, Penydarren, Dowlais and Merthyr in the 19^th and 20^thC, but her grandfather Albert Crandon, like many other Welshmen over the years, ventured further afield to look for work and for a while he and his young family lived in America. Here, we share Elaine Dacey’s memories of her family and life in Pantyscallog, and also her grandfather’s great adventure in America in the 1920s and 1930s.

Fair days

Posted by People's Collection Wales, Mon, 06/21/2021 - 17:04

The seaside town of Criccieth in Gwynedd is well known for its castle, but it's also renowned for its fairs. Preserving the history of the fairs, which goes back several centuries, along with other stories, folk tales and songs has been one of the 'Names, Legends and Songs' project's objectives as part of the Criccieth Community intergenerational initiative.

Archif Cof | Memory Archive: Helping People Living with Dementia

Posted by Jessica Roberts, Wed, 05/12/2021 - 13:22

In this blog, Reina van der Wiel (Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales) and Catalena Angele (People's Collection Wales) discuss how and why the Archif Cof | Memory Archive was established on the People's Collection Wales website and its importance of facilitating reminiscence work with people living with dementia.

WiciPics: creating a record of Wales' built heritage

Posted by People's Collection Wales, Mon, 11/30/2020 - 18:24

National Wicimedian Jason Evans explains how you can contribute to the WiciPics project by uploading photographs of locations that will help enrich Wikipedia content for your local area. From listed buildings, old chapels and castles to doctors' surgeries and schools, these images will also form a new digital archive for the National Library of Wales and will feature on the People's Collection Wales website.

Vernon David Emmanuel’s Photographic Collection

Posted by People's Collection Wales, Tue, 11/17/2020 - 10:31

Here, our guest blogger Graham Tudor Emmanuel talks about his father's legacy and the large photographic collection that has been deposited with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. 500 digital items from the Vernon David Emmanuel Collection will be available soon on People’s Collection Wales and will include images of chapels and churches in Carmarthenshire as well as various industrial sites in south Wales. Already published from the collection are 100 fantastic images depicting life in and around Usk, Monmouthshire in the Edwardian era, .

Whispers from WW1: Harry White's postcards

Posted by Elena Gruffudd, Fri, 10/30/2020 - 16:42

This small, but valuable collection of postcards sent by her great uncle during the First World War was among the items shared recently by Lucy Tedd on the People’s Collection Wales website. Henry Thompson White (or Harry, as he was known) was killed in an attack on High Wood on the Somme in 1916. Through these postcards – and the letters he wrote to his sisters, Lillie and Lucy, in Carmarthen – the family has been able to learn more about this young man whose life was cut short, like thousands of others from his generation.

Photoscoot: a 'then and now' photography project for wheelchair and disability scooter users

Posted by Elena Gruffudd, Mon, 09/28/2020 - 12:43

In this latest blog, our guest blogger, Deanna Groome talks about their family’s Photoscoot Project which was inspired by a copy of the Borough Guide for Machynlleth, published originally in 1911, and describes how she and her mother, Audrey, decided to undertake their most recent local history project in the popular seaside town of Aberystwyth during the Spring 2020 lockdown.