Author: ohadmin

Picturing the Guv, sharing humour about institutional photographs

 

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At the OHAA Biennial this year, there was quite a bit of discussion about the use of photographs in the oral history interview. From the NSW Government Printing Office, an oral history project has emerged that looks at institutionally staged photographs from the worker’s point of view.  This evocative project brings humour and humanity to an institutional labour experience, shedding light on the back story behind the photographs.

PhD candidate Jesse Adams Stein interviewed some 31 former workers about their years of working life from 1959 – 1989 at The Guv, as the printing office is described by the workers.  Photographs were used at the end of the interviews as memory triggers.  Interesting stories emerge that inform the context of institutional memory.  Many stories have a shared memory of humorous events about the staged photographs being fake or publicity shots that were very ”stagey”.

Resize of Picturing the Guv4This begs the question about description of many of our historical photographic collection.  Is there an easy or seamless way for all of us to add description to institutional or business collections as content emerges?  How can we join up oral history information with institutional records?  Many libraries will add description or tags.  It is just a matter of contacting your library or archive and asking if it is possible.

Other interesting aspects of Jesse’s project include transitions as technology changes, how outdated technology can lead to loss of trade skills and identity and how a project like this can give people the opportunity to allow workers to use their skills once more.

From a Queensland perspective, are there institutional photographic collections in the State that could be tapped into with oral history interviews that help inform and add to Queensland memory?

Catherine Cottle
OHAA-Qld President

Re-Imagining Salinas Chinatown, an Oral History Walking Tour

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At the Biennial National OHAA Conference this week, we were treated to a keynote address about re-imagining a space that is no longer there but for oral histories of memory.

Re-imagining Salinas Chinatown is an augmented reality walking tour, both on-site and web based that is currently in the design phase. The only extant Chinatown between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the space has given way to a memory of what has been as there is no more Chinatown, but lots of memories.

The project began with requests for oral histories from Chinese, Philipinos and others who had lived in the community for generations in order to engage in historical and cultural preservation and to create collective identity.

According to Rina Benmayor, the oral histories construct important memory in the thirdspace, transformation of community.  She uses multi-vocals, many stories all about the same location, with visual renderings to bring what used to be, back to life.  She also ensures that current residents are given the opportunity to tell their stories as well.  With a large population of homeless people in the community going on 30 years, Rina has found ways to incorporate everyone’s story through oral histories.

The walking tour will enable the voices from the oral histories to be heard.  See the website http://walkingtour.puntoalea.com/  On the website people are invited to tell their stories to create the lived experience.  This is all a work in progress.  The purpose is to have people meander through the site, get a feel of what the life of the community was like.  The project team is working with people born froResize of Re-imagining Salinas - Rina Benmayor4m 1920s to 1960s.  They want a mini-documentary, which will be aired on Radiolab on NPR in a collage effect, bringing different voices together by which they can try to increase the listener’s attention span.  Historical photographs and soundscapes will be put on the site.  Most people have memories of the Republic Café which would be an ideal location for the exhibition space.  The website audience could be people from Salina or anywhere and would be a useful on-line resource. 

Rina is Professor of Oral History, Literature and Latina/o Studies at California State University Monterey Bay, where she also directs the CSUMB Oral History and Community Memory Archive.

 

Biennial Oral History Conference held in Adelaide

O beautiful Adelaide.　 What a treat to travel to this fine city for the Biennial National Conference of the Oral History Association Australia from 21-24 September 2013. Combined with the 21st South Australia State History Conference, there was a delightful agenda of events put on by the SA branch.　 Something for everyone about the latest in oral history techniques and ideas from leading experts in Australia.　 OHAA-QLD was well represented, making for a good reunion and lots of fun. Parts of the conference were held in the historic State Library of South Australia. What a beauty of a building.　How interesting that they have incorporated the old with the new.　Glass additions connect the complex (and free wi-fi!)　 But staff continue to work away in rooms more than 100 years old.　They were eager to tell the story of the building.　 Good idea to go on a tour if you get a chance. There are free tours every week day at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Also held at the State Library was the final committee meeting of the year for the National Oral History Association of Australia.　 Al Thomson chaired the committee meeting and did a lovely job wrapping up the board meetings for the year.　 This past year had been fraught with intense meetings, mostly about whether or not to adopt a new constitution and a possible name change. Thanks from OHAA-Qld to all board members who worked hours and hours on end to provide all of us with best practices and thoughtful consideration about the future of the organisation.

Catherine Cottle
OHAA-Qld President　

Interviewing Michelle Potter

As a historian, Michelle Potter has recorded over a hundred oral histories for the National Library of Australia, collecting a diverse collection of stories from Australians from all walks of life.  Michelle has interviewed politicians, musicians, artists and designers and conceded it's a job she's honoured to do. For full story including ABC radio interview click here.

Newspaper history – Australia

Collecting oral history is a little like digging for gold. One never knows when a treasure will be uncovered. Some years ago I talked to a very modest man. He had done something incredibly brave on the Somme in the First World War for which he  was awarded the Victoria Cross. However, he didn't really want to tell me very much about this, and it was only when I asked about his family history,  that he became enthusiastic.  Arthur Charles Hall's  great grandfather, Edward Smith Hall, was a man of great conviction and compassion. He arrived in Australia from England in 1811 and in 1826 he published the first edition of  The Monitor newspaper, in which he advocated trial by jury and freedom of the press. For full story click here.

Company history informed by oral history

Dr. Indira Chowdhury, who has set up the Centre for Public History at the Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology in Bengaluru was speaking at the annual lecture series on business history instituted by Godrej Archives, in association with Tata Central Archives. Her subject was 'Oral History and the Framing of Institutional Narratives' and the oral history example showed the sort of small, but telling detail that would probably be left out of an official history, which would be more concerned with leading personalities, administrative changes and the concrete facts about creation of campuses. For full story click here.

CSIRO’s open air insectaries

The CSIRO wants to demolish two heritage-listed buildings once used to study the dreaded Australian blowfly, saying they are derelict and a risk to public safety.  The open-air insectaries, believed to be more than 80 years old, were among the first purpose-built facilities at the CSIRO's Black Mountain headquarters, and used for research into issues such as sheep blowfly work and the biological control of weeds.  The buildings, known as the Blowfly Insectary No.1 and Blowfly Insectary No. 2, have both been registered on the Commonwealth Heritage List since 2004. For full story, click here.

Tasmanian Oral History

Garry Kerr is a very interesting man. He loves telling stories and listening to other peoples stories. A fisherman by profession, Garry has turned his hand to telling some of the history specifically relating to Tasmania. He has self published four books, three featuring oral history of Tasmania including "The Huon Pine Story". For full story including radio interview, click here.