Oral history

Quick Facts: Who was Oral history?

Subject:

Oral history

Known for:

The collection and study of historical information through recorded personal testimonies.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from people, families, important events, or everyday life by using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. The interviews are conducted with people who participated in or observed past events and whose memories and perceptions of these are to be preserved as an aural record for future generations. Oral history strives to obtain information from different perspectives and most of these cannot be found in written sources. Oral history also refers to information gathered in that manner and to a written work (published or unpublished) based on such data, which is often preserved in archives and large libraries. Knowledge presented by oral history is unique in that it shares the tacit perspective, thoughts, opinions, and understanding of the interviewee in its primary form.

Career & Major Achievements

The term is sometimes used in a more general sense to refer to the study of information about past events that witnesses told anybody else, but professional historians usually consider this to be the study of oral tradition or traditional oral history because the source receives the information aurally. It is believed that the term oral history originates with Joe Gould, a homeless man living in New York City who solicited donations by claiming that he was working on a massive manuscript called "An Oral History of Our Time", which he said consisted of thousands of recorded conversations on various topics. Although he was known to have a history of mental illness and violence, Gould was beloved by some writers in Greenwich Village, including Ezra Pound and E. E. Cummings. His writing, supposedly excerpts from the "Oral History", was published in elite literary magazines, and he was eventually profiled in The New Yorker. One of the earliest academic oral history projects was Columbia University's Oral History Research Office, which was established in 1948 by Professor Allan Nevins.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

It consists of almost 8,000 taped memoirs and nearly 1,000,000 pages of transcript; it is the oldest and still largest organized oral history programs in the world. Oral history has become an international movement in historical research. This is partly attributed to the development of information technology, which allowed a method rooted in orality to contribute to research, particularly the use of personal testimonies made in a wide variety of public settings. For instance, oral historians have discovered the endless possibilities of posting data and information on the Internet by making them readily available to scholars, teachers, and ordinary people. This reinforced the viability of oral history since the new modes of transmission allowed history to get off archival shelves and reach the larger community.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1948: 1948 Milestone — One of the earliest academic oral history projects was Columbia University's Oral History Research Office, which was established in 1948 by Professor Allan Nevins.

Notable Quotes by Oral history

“oral history has room for both the academic and the layperson. With reasonable training... anyone can conduct a useable oral history.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Oral history

True or False: “The earliest organized academic oral history project was established by Allan Nevins at Columbia University in 1948.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): Columbia University's Oral History Research Office was indeed established in 1948 and remains one of the world's largest such programs.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• A. Wyatt Tilby — Historical peer (Died in 1948) (1948): British author, journalist, and traveler known for his writings on history and philosophy.
• Abby Aldrich Rockefeller — Historical peer (Died in 1948) (1948): American socialite and influential philanthropist, key patron of modern art.
• Oral Roberts — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Pioneering Charismatic televangelist known for Prosperity Gospel and healing ministry.
• Orange Free State — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A landlocked Boer republic in Southern Africa, existing from 1854 until its defeat by the British in 1902.
• Orange Revolution — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A series of protests leading to political upheaval in Ukraine (late 2004–early 2005).
• Orangism (Dutch Republic) — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Political movement supporting the Princes of Orange in the Dutch Republic.

Frequently Asked Questions about Oral history