Welcome to the Oral History Society!
Oral history records the living memories and feelings of all kinds of people, many otherwise hidden from history, and creates a more vivid picture of our past.
What is Oral History?
- Oral history is the recording of people's memories. It is the living history of everyone's unique life experiences.
- Oral history records people's experiences on sound and video tape. It is a vital tool for our understanding of the recent past. No longer are we dependent only on the written word.
- Oral history enables people who have been hidden from history to be heard, and for those interested in their past to record personal experiences and those of their families and communities.
- Oral history is new and exciting because it is interactive: it is shared history and a rare chance to actually talk to history face to face.
- Oral history preserves everyone's past for the future.
How Can Oral History Be Used?
- Oral history brings a new dimension to local and family history.
- Oral history is used in schools by young people to explore their own community: talking about the past brings young and old together.
- Oral history is used in community and residential work with older people to encourage a sense of worth and continued contribution to society.
- Oral history in museums, galleries and heritage displays is used to inform and brings displays to life.
- Oral history collections at local archives and libraries have emerged as important new sources for all those interested in history.
- Oral history is an important source for many radio and television programmes.
What Is The Oral History Society?
- The Oral History Society is a national and international organisation dedicated to the collection and preservation of oral history.
- It encourages people of all ages to tape, video or write down their own and other people's life stories.
- It offers practical support and advice about how to get started, what equipment to use, what techniques are best, how to look after tapes, and how to make use of what you have collected.
- In conjunction with the British Library National Sound Archive, it also holds one-day oral history training courses.
- The Society's members come from all backgrounds with different occupations and interests but share a common love of the past.
- Through twice-yearly journalsand conferences it brings together a network of individuals and local groups from all over Britain and Europe to share ideas, problems and solutions.
- Recent successful oral history conferences have examined topics such as cinema, health, sport, religion, broadcasting, politics, migration and the lives of women.
For further details about the Society please send an e-mail to
Rob Perks, (rob.perks@bl.uk), or write to:
The Secretary
Oral History Society
c/o Department of History
Essex University
Colchester C04 3SQ
or telephone 020 7412 7405
or Join Now!