Dear Michele

Within the oral history collections at the British Library Sound Archive
(http://www.bl.uk/oralhistory) we do have a collection that might be of
interest to your project.  'Down to Earth: An Oral History of British
Horticulture' has been running since 2001 and records life story
interviews with, amongst others, British gardeners, garden designers,
landscape architects and horticulturalists to chart the changes that
have occurred in gardening and landscape design in the twentieth
century.  You can find more information about the project by visiting
the collections entry on the Sound Archive catalogue at
http://cadensa.bl.uk/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/0/0/5?searchdata1=CKEY6291145&lib
rary=ALL; to browse all recordings in the project click on the blue
'collection title' within the catalogue entry.  For information on
related projects visit the oral history collection pages on the BL
website at
http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/sound/ohist/ohcoll/oharch/archi
tecture.html.

For practical advice related to oral history projects, including advice
on methodology, equipment, ethics and clearance, and archiving please
see the Oral History Society webpages (www.ohs.org.uk); the regional
network pages will allow you to search for other relevant projects or
other oral history projects in your area.  If you are interested in
receiving oral history training please visit the training courses pages
for dates and a programme (http://www.ohs.org.uk/training/training.php)

With best wishes

Elspeth

Elspeth Millar
Archive Assistant, Oral History & National Life Stories 
British Library Sound Archive
96 Euston Road
London
020 7412 7404
[log in to unmask]
www.bl.uk/oralhistory  

-----Original Message-----
From: Archivists, conservators and records managers.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michele Losse
Sent: 26 November 2009 11:56
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Oral History Projects

Dear All,

I would be interested to hear from colleagues involved in oral history
projects. I have been interviewing ex members of staff, recording their
reminiscences of their time at Kew with the use of a semi-professional
camera, using a questionnaire adapted in function of their position.
This has been extremely popular, and am seeking to promote the project
via our website. The next stage of the project would be to take in the
wider community to record memories of people who have known and visited
the Gardens for a long time, to get their views on how this has affected
their lives and how the Gardens have changed over the years.

I would like to hear from those of you who are or have been involved in
similar projects, especially when dealing with people in the community
as this is something I have no experience of.

I can post a summary of replies if anyone is interested.

Michele Losse
Archives
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

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