Baltimore Neighborhood Heritage Project ( BNHP)
Table of Contents / Indices
Introduction
From 1978 through 1980, the Baltimore Neighborhood Heritage Project (BNHP) collected tape recorded oral histories from longtime residents in seven Baltimore neighborhoods: Highlandtown, Hampden, Park Heights, Little Italy, South Baltimore, Old West Baltimore and East Baltimore and with workers in and around the Port of Baltimore. These oral histories attempt to uncover information about select aspects of neighborhood life and the experience of neighborhood residents from the perspective of the residents themselves. They include recollections on such topics as immigration and migration and adjustment to life in Baltimore, residential patterns, neighborhood institutions, work experiences, family and social life, housing conditions, the impact of local and national events on the neighborhood, and perceived changes in the neighborhood over time.
Each interviewer was "based" at a neighborhood "Eating Together" site, a local lunch program for senior citizens. There he or she became acquainted with neighborhood residents, learned about neighborhood networks, and in general, gained a "sense" of the neighborhood social and cultural identity. Oral history interviews were collected by Project staff as part of a one year involvement in the social and institutional life of the neighborhood, aimed at uncovering and promoting its history. Although many interviews were conducted with Eating Together participants, interviewers were also encouraged to seek out other community residents not affiliated with Eating Together, including business, political and religious leaders.
Each interview represents considerably more than a single interaction between interviewee and interviewer. Before doing any interviewing, interviewers were trained in the methods of oral history. Each interview was preceded by at least one pre-interview conversation between interviewee and interviewer to establish rapport and a basic outline. Interviewers worked with professional historians who alerted interviewers to relevant areas of inquiry to pursue in interviews and who were themselves to use the oral material uncovered in conjunction with written source materials to write a neighborhood history.
In addition to interviewing, Project staff conducted historically oriented activities in each community, again based at the Eating Together site, but not limited to it. These activities included film showings, old time sing alongs, and tours of neighborhood landmarks. The goal of these activities was to stimulate interest in local history and sensitize residents to topics that were pursued in the interviews. In 1986, Oral Historian Linda Shopes critiqued the project in an essay, Oral History and Community Involvement: The Baltimore Neighborhood Heritage Project for the Anthology Presenting the Past. This is the best available critical analysis of the project as a whole.
Restrictions
Tapes used in these interviews are fragile and will not be available for listening until they have been digitized. For those interviews which were transcribed, transcripts are available online in pdf format and a link is provided in the table of contents and indices. Only these transcripts are currently available.
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Table of Contents
Alphabetical Listing of Interviews
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Click on the letter above to take you to the table containing a list of names of those interviewed whose last name begin with that letter.
Numeric Listing of Interviews
Each interview was numbered chronologically, regardless of site. The link above will take you to a list of interviews in order by interview number.