History OBJECT OF THE MONTH
THE DRAPER SCRAPBOOK: THE CHANGING FACE OF BRIDPORT Martin Grier, Photograph Collection Volunteer, Bridport Museum
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t the Local History Centre we have some wonderful images of the area, stretching back more than 150 years to the very early days of photography. In view of that, my favourite object might not appear an obvious choice. It is a scrapbook compiled by a local man, Eddie Draper, which is full with photographs he took of the changing face of Bridport before, during and after the Second World War. Mr Draper died in 1975 and the scrapbook was donated to Bridport Museum by his nephew. They are not all wonderful photos, some are a bit blurred, but they are a unique collection. When buildings in West Street were demolished to make the entrance to Tannery Road and what is now the bus station, or when the new Police Station in St Andrew’s Road was being built (now the site of Peelers Court), Mr Draper was there to record different stages of the process. Unfortunately, the photos are mostly undated. The book also contains old postcards, wax seals and a threepenny piece which was on HMS Prince of Wales when she helped sink the German battleship Bismarck! The photograph above shows the demolition of the fire station behind the Town Hall after the war. The fire station moved further down South Street to what is now the Library before moving again to its current site on Sea Road South, the area where the fire station was, being now the open space in Bucky Doo. 24 | Bridport Times | March 2018
Eddie Draper was a band leader and an expert cornet player. He founded Eddie Draper’s Bugle Band, a forerunner of the St Swithun’s Band which often plays these days in the place where the fire station stood. Some of his photographs are on our Flickr site. To access it, go to bridportmuseum.co.uk and click on the Local History Centre heading. On the right, below ‘Areas we cover’ is a box ‘Explore photos’ where you will find our images. There are albums on local villages and different areas of Bridport along with some of the events from Bridport’s past. There are also pictures of some of the art in our collection along with scans of the Chideock Egg Letters which were on display in the museum a few years ago. At present there are over 5000 images available to view and more are being added all the time. If you like a picture, please contact the Local History Centre about getting a copy. Bridport Museum Trust is a registered charity, which runs an Accredited Museum and a Local History Centre right in the centre of Bridport. The Museum recently underwent a major refurbishment and re-opened in May 2017. Entry to the Museum is free. The Museum also runs a Local History Centre which provides resources for local and family history research. bridportmuseum.co.uk