Marvels of the month

Every week, a wide assortment of archive documents and local studies material from a variety of sources passes through our doors to join the six miles of records in our strongrooms.

Behind the scenes, we work closely with the records, diligently cataloguing, cleaning, conserving and packaging them so that they can be made available to the public.

It's work that we thoroughly enjoy, and everyone here has a tale to tell: whether it's the story behind a favourite book, the background to an unusual collection, or how we repaired a very fragile document.

Each month, the Surrey Heritage teams showcase their own particular "Marvel of the Month".

Our 2024 Marvels

November

Our November Marvel of the Month reveals the impact of the First World War on a young man who shared in vivid detail his experiences of the Western Front in family letters.

An Officer at the Front

October

For October's Marvel of the Month, we explored two local Black History stories and show how our archive collections help reveal the bigger picture.

Black History Month 2024: Reclaiming Black History Narratives

September

For September's Marvel of the Month, we revealed the story behind the lengthy and challenging repair of a large and very fragile map.

Conservation of a tithe map

August

For August's Marvel of the Month, we discovered the jottings and scribblings of the Margesson family of Ockley in an old church register of baptisms, marriages and burials.

Seventeenth century upcycling: a parish register's unusual history

July

For July's Marvel of the Month, we shared some charming drawings by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, otherwise known as Lewis Carroll, from the significant Dodgson family collection at Surrey History Centre.

'Golden summer hours and whispers of a summer sea': Lewis Carroll's sketchbook

June

For June's Marvel of the Month, site work undertaken by Surrey County Archaeological Unit and wood timber dating at a Surrey estate has revealed a mixture of styles and materials dating back to the 14th century.

Before the Stuart façade: the hidden history of West Horsley Place

May

The Marvel of the Month in May celebrated the dedicated naturalists or 'citizen scientists', who have studied and recorded the county's flora, fauna and other natural phenomena.

Recording nature in Surrey

April

For our April Marvel of the Month, we discovered how careful conservation work on treasured documents at Surrey History Centre helps preserve our history for future generations.

Conserving an early 16th century notebook

March

Our March Marvel of the Month explored the life and portrayal of a Surrey diarist, author, horticulturalist, servant of state and founding Fellow of the Royal Society.

Portraits of John Evelyn (1620 to 1706), a man of the 17th century

February

Our February Marvel of the Month celebrated the life and work of one of Surrey's lesser known artists who painted some of the county's most striking landscapes.

Edward Wilkins Waite (1854 to 1924): artist of Surrey landscapes in oil

Our Marvels archive

Inspired by our Marvels?

If you want to start your own research into Surrey's rich history, or build your family tree, or perhaps look into the history of your house, take a look at our Archives and history research guides to help get you started. There's also a wealth of information in our Archives and books collections and if you want to know more about how we preserve the vast and fascinating collection of items that we hold, visit our Surrey History Centre Conservation section page.