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 "Marvels of the Month".
Our July Marvel of the Month reveals 18th century sketches of the famous gardens created by Charles Hamilton at Painshill, Cobham.
For our June Marvel of the Month, we discovered how Surrey Heritage volunteers managed to identify the owner of a First World War spoon excavated at Witley Camp.
For our May Marvel of the Month, the notebook of Thomas Henry Farrer of Abinger revealed his friendship and family connections with naturalist, geologist and biologist, Charles Darwin.
For our April Marvel of the Month, title deeds, some surviving for nearly 800 years, revealed many stories of people and places with tantalising clues to the lives of those whose transactions they record.
Our March Marvel of the Month remembered the foundation of Surrey County Cricket Club and the career of Surrey and England bowler and Woking resident Alec Bedser.
For LGBT+ History Month in February, we celebrated the life of one of the greatest British writers of the 20th century who lived in Surrey for over 40 years.
2019 Marvels
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
2018 Marvels
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
2017 Marvels
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
2016 Marvels
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
2015 Marvels
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
2014 Marvels
December
November
October
September
August
- Broadwood customers and destinations
- Old cottages and farmhouses in Surrey
- Heavy losses to the 1st Queen's, 1914
July
June
- Ernest James 'Gentleman Jim' Langley (7 February 1929 – 9 December 2007)
- Celebrating Volunteers' Week
May
April
March
- White and Sons of Dorking: 80 years of auction records
- 'Perdita': the extraordinary life of author and actress Mary Robinson
February
2013 marvels
December
November
- The grand opening of County Hall, Kingston, 13 November 1893
- Farnham in the Civil War, November 1643
- Seeing the light: protection from light damage
October
September
August
- More Place, Betchworth: an 1827 nursery order
- A brief history of papermaking and paper conservation
- Charles Thomas Cracklow (1763-1826)
July
- George Sturt (1863-1927)
- 'Thumping plum puddings': the diaries of Elizabeth Davis of Gosden House, Shalford
- Bookbinding techniques
June
- Ockenden International: the remarkable story of a Surrey refugee charity
- Jean Carré and wealden glass
- Pins, clips and staples: damaging fasteners in archive collections
May
April
March
February
- Your Paintings and the Lewis Carroll connection
- The history and conservation of seals
- Henry Goulburn's letters to his daughter
January
2012 marvels
December
November
- Moor Park, Farnham
- The Queens Royal West Surreys and the Boer War
- Behind the scenes: the conservation studio
October
September
August
- The Duke of York marches on London, September 1450
- The development of iron gall ink
- Town and village guides
July