Make time for history: Visit Elizabethan House and Smeaton’s Tower this month
If you’re a history lover and have been meaning to explore some of Plymouth’s fascinating heritage, now is the perfect time. With winter closures approaching, there’s limited time left this month to visit two of the city’s much-loved historic attractions: Elizabethan House and Smeaton’s Tower.
Tribute to June Marlow
When singer and actress June Marlow was invited to record ‘the voice’ of the Elizabethan House just a few weeks before her 90th birthday, she may not have known it would be her last professional role but she did know it was one she could perform with pinpoint accuracy, drawing from her earliest experiences and channelling the voices and dialect of her birthplace: New Street on Plymouth’s historic Barbican. June sadly passed away in late February but her legacy lives on. Here we explore her life in a wonderful article featuring her own writing and recollections and compiled by her granddaughter Lauren Vandike.
Springtime in the City: Explore Plymouth’s Art, Heritage and Hidden Gems
Spring is finally here, and the evenings are slowly getting lighter as we head towards the clocks changing. If you’re from further afield and planning a day trip to Plymouth, or looking for things to do in the Easter holidays, this guide will help you make the most of your visit. You can enjoy a full day exploring the city with plenty of time to experience what The Box has to offer too.
VE Day 80: Make Do and Remember Through Wartime Wardrobes
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May, we’re taking a look at some of the items in the collections held at The Box that reflect the everyday resilience of civilians on the home front.
Archives insight: Devonport 200
Did you know 1 January 2024 marks the 200th anniversary of the town of Dock (or Plymouth-Dock) becoming known as Devonport?
Archives insight: A Plymouth doctor’s gallantry
The Box is currently remembering the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the NHS through telling the story of the courage and self-sacrifice of Dr Alison Jean McNairn (afterwards Jesson) in our Active Archives gallery.
Archives insight: Refugee Week 2023 – Meet the Huguenots
For this year’s ‘Refugee Week’ we’re looking at the story of the Huguenots – French Protestants who took refuge in some of our towns and cities, including Plymouth, in the late 1600s. They brought a range of valuable skills with them and introduced the word ‘refugee’ into the English language.
Archive insight: A dream of a new life overseas
Have you been watching the BBC’s latest historical drama ‘Ten Pound Poms’? This image from our archives shows a family about to embark on the scheme that saw over a million people try and make their homes in Australia.
Raising a glass to World Poetry Day 2023
Last year we received a typescript copy of an anonymous poem into our archives. It describes a pub crawl around Devonport and is believed to have been written in the 1930s.
John Foulston and the Plymouth Proprietary Library
The Plymouth Proprietary Library is an active subscription library founded in 1810. Known as the Plymouth Public Library until 1881, here we explore the history of its architecture and its connection with leading English architect John Foulston.