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Old photo postcard of Holdenhurst Road Bournemouth Dorset England

Old Images of Bournemouth, Dorset

Old photo postcard of Holdenhurst Road Bournemouth Dorset England

Enjoy a glimpse of history through old images of Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK.

Just over a hundred years ago, the large seaside resort of Bournemouth in Dorset was a tiny seaside community in Hampshire. Since then it has seen a population boom, an expansion of its boundaries, war defences on its beaches and then the 1974 transfer to a different county.

Old Photos of Bournemouth

Old colour postcard of Central Station Bournemouth Dorset England
Old colour postcard of Central Station, Bournemouth
Old photo postcard of Central Station Bournemouth Dorset England
Old photo postcard of Central Station, Bournemouth
Closeup of an old photo postcard of Central Station Bournemouth Dorset England
Closeup of an old photo postcard of Central Station, Bournemouth
Closeup of the right hand side of an old photo postcard of Central Station Bournemouth Dorset England
Closeup of the right hand side of an old photo postcard of Central Station, Bournemouth
Old photo postcard of The Invalids' Walk Bournemouth Dorset England
Old photo postcard of The Invalids’ Walk, Bournemouth
Old photo of Invalids' Walk Bournemouth Dorset England
Old photo of Invalids’ Walk, Bournemouth, taken by 1905
Old photo postcard of Holdenhurst Road Bournemouth Dorset England
Old photo postcard of Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth
Closeup of the left hand side of an old photo postcard of Holdenhurst Road Bournemouth Dorset England
Closeup of the left hand side of an old photo postcard of Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth
Closeup of the right hand side of an old photo postcard of Holdenhurst Road Bournemouth Dorset England
Closeup of the right hand side of an old photo postcard of Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth
Old photo of Bournemouth from the sea Dorset England
Old photo of Bournemouth from the sea, taken by 1905
Old photo taken at the East Cliff at Bournemouth Dorset England UK
Old photo taken at the East Cliff at Bournemouth, Dorset
Closeup of an old photo taken at the East Cliff at Bournemouth Dorset England UK
Closeup of an old photo taken at the East Cliff at Bournemouth, Dorset
Old photo taken at the West Cliffe of Bournemouth
Old photo taken at the West Cliffe of Bournemouth, Dorset
Old photo of the entrance to the harbour at Bournemouth Dorset England UK
Old photo of the entrance to the harbour at Bournemouth, Dorset
Closeup of the left hand side of an old photo of the entrance to the harbour at Bournemouth Dorset England UK
Closeup of the left hand side of an old photo of the entrance to the harbour at Bournemouth, Dorset
Closeup of the right hand side of an old photo of the entrance to the harbour at Bournemouth Dorset England UK
Closeup of the right hand side of an old photo of the entrance to the harbour at Bournemouth, Dorset
Old photo of the gardens at Bournemouth Dorset England UK
Old photo of the gardens at Bournemouth, Dorset
Old photo of Bournemouth from the gardens Dorset England
Old photo of Bournemouth from the gardens, Dorset
Old photo of The Gardens at Bournemouth Dorset England UK pre 1905
Old photo of The Gardens at Bournemouth, taken by 1905 1905
Old cigarette card photo of the Zig Zag walk at Bournemouth Dorset England UK
Old cigarette card photo of the Zig Zag walk at Bournemouth
Old cigarette card photo of the view of Bournemouth Dorset England UK
Old cigarette card photo of the view of Bournemouth
Old cigarette card photo of the promenade at Bournemouth Dorset England UK
Old cigarette card photo of the promenade at Bournemouth
Old cigarette card photo of the beach at Bournemouth Dorset England UK
Old cigarette card photo of the beach at Bournemouth
Old book illustration of Bournemouth from the pier, published in 1893
Old book illustration of Bournemouth from the pier, published in 1893
Old illustration of Stewart's Hotel Richmond Hill Bournemouth published in 1886
Old illustration of Stewart’s Hotel, Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, published in 1886
Old illustration of the Imperial Hotel Bournemouth published in 1894
Old illustration of the Imperial Hotel, Bournemouth, published in 1894
Old photo postcard of the 1913 cricket weekend at Bournemouth Dorset England
Old photo postcard of the 1913 cricket weekend at Bournemouth, Dorset
Old photo postcard of Springbourne Public Library Bournemouth Dorset England
Old photo postcard of Springbourne Public Library, Bournemouth
Mont Dore Hospital Bournemouth during World War I
An old photo of Mont Dore Hospital, Bournemouth, taken during World War I when the exclusive Mont Dore Hotel was operating as a military hospital for the care of injured Indian soldiers.
Old photo of Indian Soliders at Mont Dore Hospital Bournemouth Dorset England during the Great War
Old photo of recouperating Indian Soliders in a charabac at the gates of the Mont Dore Hospital in Bournemouth. During peacetime, the Mont Dore Hotel was one of the most exclusive hotels in the area.
Closeup of the right and side of an old photo of Bournemouth from the sea Dorset England
Closeup of the right and side of an old photo of Bournemouth from the sea, which shows the wheeled bathing tents on the beach
Closeup of the left hand side of an old photo of Bournemouth from the sea Dorset England
Closeup of the left hand side of an old photo of Bournemouth from the sea
Old picture postcard of The Lodge at Talbot Woods, Bournemouth, Dorset, England
Old picture postcard of The Lodge at Talbot Woods, Bournemouth, Dorset, England. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage postcard of Parkwood Road in Boscombe, Bournemouth, England, circa 1913
Vintage postcard of Parkwood Road in Boscombe, Bournemouth, England, circa 1913. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage postcard of Church Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset
Vintage postcard of Church Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage postcard of traction engines owned by JC Nutt, contractors based in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, England
Vintage postcard of traction engines owned by JC Nutt, contractors based in Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, England. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Vintage postcard of Old Christchurch Road in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, taken during the Bournemouth Centenary Fetes
Vintage postcard of Old Christchurch Road in Bournemouth, Dorset, England, taken during the Bournemouth Centenary Fetes. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.
Old photo postcard of Ashley Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth, in Dorset, England
Old photo postcard of Ashley Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth, in Dorset, England. Image: Mark Crombie/Flikr.

Bournemouth in the 1920s

In 1920, just two years after the end of the Great War, later known as World War I, Earl Beatty and Earl Haig received the Freedom of the Borough.

Lots of people arrived to see these wartime generals, who spoke to several local war veterans.

Beaty and Lord Haig at Bournemouth (1920) – British Pathé on YouTube

Pigeon racing used to be big business. In this footage from 1920, hundreds of birds are released from cages at the railway station, having arrived by train.

A Pigeon Derby at Bournemouth (1920) – British Pathé on YouTube

Princess Helena Victoria made a visit in 1926.

Princess Helena Victoria at Bournemouth (1926)- British Pathé on YouTube

In 1927, the Prince of Wales attended 18 functions within 334 minutes.

A Royal Hustler (1927) – British Pathé on YouTube

In 1929, Bournemouth’s new £250,000 Pavilion was opened by the Duke of Gloucester.

ROYAL: Duke of Gloucester opens Bournemouth’s new Pavilion (1929) – British Pathé on YouTube

Duke Of Gloucester Opens Bournemouth Pavilion (1929) – British Pathé on YouTube

Bournemouth In The 1930s

In the 1930s Bournemouth was in the English county of Hampshire, and had recently experienced a massive boom in population from just 600 residents to a community of 130,000 people.

In 1930, the Bournemouth Hospital Fete was opened by Amy Johnson and Marjorie Foster.

In Aid Of Charity (1930)- British Pathé on YouTube

In 1931, Bournemouth’s boundary was moved, doubling its size. Footage recorded the Mayor, Percy May Bright, walking in procession with a number of dignitaries before ceremonially cutting the boundary tape. Then he lays a ceremonial stone marking the extension of the town’s boundary. 

“Bigger Bournemouth! Aka Bigger Bourne Mouth (1931)” – British Pathé on YouTube

Bournemouth’s indoor bowling green was opened in 1937 by the Mayor.

Bowls Under Cover (1937) – British Pathé on YouTube

Then in 1939, the year World War II began, British Pathé 1939 travelogue item about the famous South coast holiday resort.

Various shots compare old photographs of Bournemouth’s beach, cliffs and town in the 1870s, when there were only 600 local residents, to the same views in 1939 when Bournemouth was home to 130,000 people.  

Also seen are tourists relaxing on the promenade, people paddling in sea, and the public gardens, including the Bourne Stream. A performance of the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra closes the film.

“Bournemouth Issue Title How’s That? (1939)” – British Pathé on YouTube

Also recorded at some point in the 1930s was footage of the railway station and the ‘Bournemouth belle’ train, the village, and the crowded beach.

Bournemouth – All Seasons! (1930-1939) – British Pathé on YouTube

War And Peace In The 1940s

War time defences on Bournemouth Beach were filmed by British Pathé in 1944. Anti-tank defences and barbed wire dominate the seafront, although people are still enjoying time on the beach thanks to Garrison Commander’s order of 25th July 1944 allowing access. People contentedly relax in deckchairs while families laugh as they play in the sand.

“Bournemouth Beach (1944)” – British Pathé on YouTube

The Labour Party Conference in 1946 brought Clement Atlee’s cabinet members to town.

Cabinet Goes To The Seaside (1946)- British Pathé on YouTube

British Pathé recorded girls playing the new game of sea cricket, invented by local councillor Joe Beavis. We see the crowded beaches of 1940s Bournemouth,with many spectators watching from the pier.

“Sea Cricket (1949)”- British Pathé on YouTube

Bournemouth In The 1950s

The movers and shakers of the British film and cinema industry arrived at the Royal Bath Hotel for their conference in 1951.

Film Chiefs In Conference (1951) – British Pathé on YouTube

Cea Members Get Together (1951) – British Pathé on YouTube

Beauty competitions and swimsuit models were a common feature of seaside communities for many decades of the 20th century.

Bournemouth Swimsuits (1951) – British Pathé on YouTube

The Conservative Party Conference in 1955 meant lots of politicians arrived in town.

Bournemouth – Conservatives In Conference (1955)- British Pathé on YouTube

UNITED KINGDOM: Bournemouth Conservative Conference (1955) – British Pathé on YouTube

Alban Adams of Boscombe was a designer and builder of miniature racing cars. He was filmed in 1956, along with Christopher Crockett.

Model Racing Cars Aka Indoor Car Racing Beware – Other Colour Pics Share This Title (1956) – British Pathé on YouTube

The British movie and cinema industry Conference returned in 1958

Cea Conference Assembles (1958)- British Pathé on YouTube

Bournemouth In The 1960s

The winter weather in 1962 gave the beach and promenade a good bashing with rough seas.

Winter Blows Hardest Yet (1962) – British Pathé on YouTube

In 1964, some of the area’s young people were filmed taking part in a chairty soapbox race, using homemade vehicles.

Soapbox Race For Charity (1964) – British Pathé on YouTube

A resident of Southbourne created a shell grotto in his garden.

Shell Garden, Bournemouth (1965) – British Pathé on YouTube

A short 1969 clip of Bournemouth Beach between the piers shows the crowded beach, the coastline as far as Hengistbury Head in the distance, Bournemouth Pier, the cliffs and the East Cliff Lift.

“Bournemouth Beach Summer 1969” – Burl Solomons on YouTube

Bounremouth in the 1970s

On 1 April 1974, Bournemouth was officially moved from the South East regional county of Hampshire to the South West county of Dorset.

First broadcast on 21st January 1974, this ThamesTv footage captured the beaches and parks packed with holiday makers and day trippers.  

“Bournemouth – Dorset Coast – England – 1974” – ThamesTv on YouTube

People voiced their opinions about the town in 1974.

1970s Bournemouth | What do you think of Bournemouth | Wish you were here? | 1974 – ThamesTv on YouTube

Bournemouth In The 1980s

In 1980, Martin Bean’s dad Rod recorded a drive through Bournemouth, including Charminster, Boscombe & Southbourne, on an early home video camera.

“Bournemouth drive 1980” – Martin Bean on YouTube

First broadcast on 9th January 1984, the popular TV series ‘Wish You Were Here?’ showed what the seaside town had on offer to holidaymakers.

Bournemouth – Dorset – 1983 – ThamesTv on YouTube

Bournemouth in the 1990s

Home movie footage recorded a family holiday to Bournemouth in 1994.

“Bournemouth Holiday 1994” – Martin Edwards on YouTube

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About the author

Hi, I’m Debbie. I’ve enjoyed books, films, and documentaries about history for more than 30 years. My favourite trips with friends and family are to museums, historic houses, archaeological sites, and I love unearthing old photos and archive film bringing history to life.

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