A hundred years ago this month marks the centenary of the death of one of the Island’s most prolific photographers of the Victorian and Edwardian era.
James Dore, who died on 25 November 1925, left behind a remarkable collection of images showing daily life and familiar landscapes around Sandown and the Bay area.
More than a photographer
Dore didn’t only document the Bay through a lens. He served as Sandown’s pioneering fire chief, contributed to civic life as a councillor and magistrate, and ran a jewellery business on the High Street.
Building the Bay is marking the centenary with an online exhibition featuring more than fifty of his photographs.
The collection includes street scenes, seafront views and glimpses of local life from the late 1800s through to the early 1900s.
Sharing his legacy today
Building the Bay is working with the Isle of Wight Heritage Service to bring these images to a wider audience.
The group begins publishing them this week on the Bay Heritage Facebook page and the Building the Bay website.
Paul Coueslant, heritage representative for the group, values the importance of Dore’s work.
He says,
“Dore’s legacy is a precious record of Island life in the decades before the First World War.
“Because of him, we’re able to see how the Bay area looked in Victorian times and the changes that have taken place since.”
Paul also praises the work of the Island’s archive team in preserving many of the original negatives. He says,
“We’re fortunate that so many of his original negatives survive thanks to the Isle of Wight Heritage Service, and we’ve included examples where the negatives aren’t in the best condition but still show Dore’s eye for capturing a memorable scene or what’s now a long forgotten view.”
James Dore is the first of a series of Heritage Heroes to be featured by Building the Bay.
Dore’s Bay through new eyes
The exhibition offers a chance to compare well-known locations with their appearance more than a century ago.
For residents and visitors alike, the images tell the story of a community that continues to evolve while still holding onto its history.
Building the Bay plans to release more photographs over the coming weeks. Anyone interested in the heritage of the Bay area can follow along online as each new image is revealed.
