Tell me about it: What is oral history

Q. What is oral history

A. It is a method of gathering and preserving historical information through recorded interviews with participants in past events and disappearing ways of life. It is both the oldest type of historical inquiry, predating the written word, and one of the most modern, really coming into its own after the invention of the tape recorder in the 1940s. It is also the only way to preserve records of the regional accents and dialects that are fast disappearing throughout the country, as well as traditional music and song.

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Q. It's very popular at the moment isn't it

A. Yes, in recent years oral history has emerged as a powerful means of recording and preserving the unique memories and life experiences of people whose stories might otherwise be lost. It enables us to eavesdrop on events, feelings, attitudes and ways of life, which have been hidden from 'proper' history, and thus create a more vivid and accurate picture of our past.

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Few historians and researchers of the 20th century can now afford to neglect the insights that oral sources provide. In effect, it liberates history from being solely the preserve of the rich and powerful and, in true democratic style, allows the people to have a say in what will be remembered.

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Q. Better than dusty old history books then

A. In many ways, yes. Oral history is very accessible. It can enliven static displays in museums and galleries and more directly engage visitors in their own past. Reminiscence techniques are used in residential homes for the elderly and in the community, both to entertain and to engender a sense of self-worth as well as to encourage people to share their experiences. Oral history now also has a firm place in schools as an interactive experience for children.

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Q. Are there any large collections in the UK

A. The Millennium Memory Bank is one of the largest collections of oral history interviews ever to have been assembled anywhere. It is a unique and invaluable snapshot of how the British think of themselves and their past from the perspective of the beginning of a new millennium.

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In the last year of the 20th century all BBC local radio stations across England, together with Radio Scotland, Radio Ulster, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, joined forces with the British Library National Sound Archive to create a record of the century just ending through the voices of thousands of people from all walks of life. It was the largest project in the history of British radio.

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Between September and December 1999 each of the BBC's forty stations broadcast its own series of sixteen programmes called The Century Speaks, in which local people reflected back across the preceding century as they had experienced it. Each of the series showed how - in that specific region of the UK - different aspects of life have changed.

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Q. Can anyone get to hear these programmes

A. The collection is held by the National Sound Archive at the British Library, and can be accessed by the public.

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See also the article on Dialects and Accents

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For more on Phrases & Sayings click here

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By Simon Smith