Oral History Archive

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s):

Title: Oral History Archive

Date(s): 1985 - 1987

Level of description: Fonds

Extent and medium of the unit of description: 600 audio cassettes

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s):

Administrative/Biographical history: Work on the Oral History Tape Collection was started in November 1985 as a two-year project funded by the Manpower Services Commission to collect, transcribe and catalogue oral history tapes known to have been recorded by various individuals and organisations throughout the County. During the final year of the scheme, further interviews were conducted in order to fill recognisable gaps in geographical and subject coverage. Further recordings were made and added to the collection, which continues to grow.

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer:

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: Collection comprises verbal reminiscences and life histories, events and places, covering many and varied aspects of the County's local history. The themes covered in the interviews include: Places (within and outside of East Anglia)l occupations, crafts and industries; community life; transport; traditions and festivals; family and domestic life; recreation; food and drink; clothing; education; religion; medical; government, politics and military activities; and the first and second World Wars. The recordings covering the African -Caribbean contain the following lower-level subject index entries: the Ipswich Caribbean Society (Ref: OHT 580 - 583, 596 - 598, 619, 623, 639); immigrants (Ref: OHT 623); Racial discrimination (Ref: OHT 580 - 583, 596 - 598, 619, 623, 639); and Jamaican celebrations (Ref: OHT 580, 583, 585, 596). Other issues covered in the reminiscences include: RAF duties; education in the Caribbean; the attempts made `to house West Indians together in council estates (OHT 583B); the local Pentecostal Church; and early life in the Caribbean before arriving in the UK

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

System of arrangement: Details of tapes in the collection are to be found in the printed catalogue The Past Remembered - a catalogue of oral history tapes, copies of which are displayed in all Suffolk libraries and record offices. The catalogue contains a brief summary of each tape, together with an OHT reference number that should be quoted when requesting tapes from the collection. For easy reference, the recordings are indexed at the back of the catalogue under various subject headings and under place. Tape numbers listed under each heading enable easy reference to be made to tape summaries. Tapes are also listed on the Library computer catalogue under the interviewee's name and tape title.

CONDITIONS OF ACCESS AND USE AREA

Conditions governing access: The original tapes are stored at the Ipswich Record Office, in suitable conditions of controlled temperature and humidity. With permission from the interviewees, copies of the tapes are placed in Ipswich Central Library and made available for free loan through all service points.

In some cases, interviewees have placed restrictions on public access to their tapes at the time of recording. This usually takes the form of 'No public access until year 2000'. As a result, not all tapes listed in the index are summarised in the main catalogue or available for loan

Conditions governing reproduction: @Suffolk Record Office

Language/scripts of material: English

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids: The Past Remembered A printed catalogue of Oral History Tapes

ALLIED MATERIALS AREA

Existence and location of originals: The original tapes are stored at the Ipswich Record Office, in suitable conditions of controlled temperature and humidity

Existence and location of copies:

Related units of description:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note: This record was completed and indexed June 2002. MR.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:

Interest: Black

Specific group:

Subjects

Religion

Education

Racial discrimination

Immigration

Cultural life

Housing

Colonial countries

Oral history

Personal/Corporate names

Ipswich Caribbean Society

Places

Jamaica

Ipswich, England