**A Hundred Years of History**
A small exhibition at the West Sussex Record Office, Orchard Street, Chichester,
tells the story of the Victoria County History (or V.C.H.), the great
encyclopedia of English local history which celebrates its centenary this
year. Founded to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, it is
currently active in 14 counties, one of which is West Sussex.
Exhibits include the letter conveying Queen Victoria's approval of the
project, and others relating to Sussex; difficulties experienced by V.C.H.
authors
include misunderstanding by the local constabulary over architectural
fieldwork during the First World War and bombing which destroyed research
notes during the Second. William Page, General Editor 1904-34, lived at
Middleton near Bognor, where for a time he kept all the History's working
papers in a shed in his garden.
The scope of recent work is illustrated, ranging from glasshouses near
Chichester to seaside resorts and the reconstruction of past landscapes. Other
displays show something of how the History is written, from note-taking to
publication.
Once a purely commercial undertaking, the V.C.H. later passed to the
University of London and was revived after the Second World War chiefly by
means of help from local authorities. Local support continues to be vital,
but the History is currently negotiating for a lottery grant to speed up
the completion of the project across the whole country.
The exhibition runs from Monday 20 September to Saturday 23 October and is
open from 9.15 to 4.45 (4.30 on Saturdays).
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