A hundred years ago this month marks the centenary of the death of James Dore, one of the Island’s most prolific Victorian and Edwardian photographers.
James Dore died on 25th November 1925 and left behind a remarkable photographic record of daily life and familiar landscapes around Sandown and the Bay area.
More than a photographer
James Dore documented the Bay through his lens, but he also played a major part in civic life. He served as Sandown’s pioneering fire chief, he worked as a councillor and magistrate, and he ran a jewellery shop on the High Street.
Building the Bay marks his centenary with an online exhibition that features more than fifty of his historic photographs.
The collection includes street scenes, seafront views and glimpses of everyday 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 on the Building the Bay website.
Paul Coueslant, Heritage Champion for the Bay, 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 in a new series of “Heritage Heroes” to be featured by Building the Bay.
Dore’s Bay through new eyes
The exhibition offers viewers the chance to compare well-known locations with their appearance more than a century ago.
Residents and visitors can see how the community continues to evolve while 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.
