In 1966, the collieries of the Somerset Coalfield were declared unprofitable and closed. The closure resulted in the loss of nearly four-hundred jobs and left a void in the community that had been built around the mining industry. The Radstock museum of the Somerset Coalfield created a Video Archive which took the form of a compilation of memories from the elderly Somerset mining community. Following its success, Tim Bateman makes a case for academic videos as a medium for presenting history. Bateman reimagines the potential for video history outside the parameters of television and film entertainment.
Tag: memory
‘Race War’: Black American GIs in Bristol and Gloucestershire During World War II
During World War II, American armed forces were stationed at Bristol and throughout the South-West. A considerable number of these soldiers were African American. During this period, the Jim Crow Laws were still being enforced in the southern states of America, and a strict policy of racial segregation was observed within the American military. The experience of African American soldiers was very different in the South-West of England to what it had been in the United States. This article offers a brief insight into contemporary race-relations and the differences between the policies of each nation regarding civil rights and military participation.
Picture in Focus: Anti-Slavery and the Arch
Anne Mackintosh looks at the archway at Paganhill and considers its links with the anti-slavery movement. Furthermore, the articles also considers the preservation of the arch over time, and how the community it features has persevered to maintain and preserve the history of the anti-slavery movement.
Oral History (Memories – Education, Therapy and Entertainment
This report from the Wiltshire Monthly Intelligencer covers some of Michael Marshman's work on oral history. Marshman’s work took the form of a series of reminiscence sessions entitled 'Do You Remember?'. Whereas with a history talk one turns up, assesses the audience, adjusts a set talk accordingly, delivers it and answers questions, these reminiscence sessions sought to draw memories from local people, producing some very interesting and unique material.