Guide to the Homestead Album Oral History Project Records, 1975-1977 AIS.1980.06

Table of Contents

Summary Information

History

Scope and Content Notes

Administrative Information

Controlled Access Headings

Previous Citation

Collection Inventory

Series I. Project Operational Files,1975-1977

Series II. Project Case Files,1976-1977

Series III. Interview Cassettes,1976-1977

Summary Information

Repository

ULS Archives & Special Collections

Title

Homestead Album Oral History Project Records

Creator

Homestead Album Oral History Project.

Collection Number

AIS.1980.06

Date [inclusive]

1975-1977

Extent

0.625 linear feet (31 audiocassette tapes)

Abstract

The Homestead Album Oral History Project was administered by the Pennsylvania Ethnic Heritage Studies Center of the University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh. The project documents the experience of individuals of varied ethnicities who have lived in the Homestead area of Pittsburgh, Pa., in the 1900's. The collection is comprised of three parts; project operational files, project case files, and interview cassettes.

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History

The Homestead Album Oral History Project was administered by the Pennsylvania Ethnic Heritage Studies Center of the University Center for International Studies, University of Pittsburgh. The project got its impetus from the reissue in 1975 of the classic sociological study, Homestead: The Households of a Mill Town by Margaret Byington (first published in 1910 by the Russell Sage Foundation and later reissued by the University Center for International Studies). It was the Center's intention to reexamine Homestead using such research tools as survey analysis and oral history. The projected plan included the preparation of a magazine focusing on excerpts from oral history interviews. After 20 interviews, the project was set aside and a magazine was never published. It is unclear from the records whether the project was dropped because of lack of funding, lack of direction or some other reason. The project as it stands documents the experience of individuals of varied ethnicities who have lived in the Homestead area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1900's.

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Scope and Content Notes

This oral history collection is comprised of three series: project operational files, project case files, and interview cassettes. The project operational files consist of administrative files, contact work and informational card files. The project case files for each interviewee can include interview transcriptions, cover sheets, indexes, and some photographs. The majority of interviews have transcriptions available in these files while indexes with subject descriptions are available for half of the collection. The interviews that have a translation will be indicated in the container list by an asterisk (*) next to the individual's name while two asterisks will indicate that a translation and a subject index are available. Individuals with photographs in their case files will also be noted on the container list.

The interviews were conducted in 1976 and 1977 and are filed separately in cassette cabinets. There are 20 interviews held on 31 cassette tapes and are arranged alphabetically. The ethnicity of the interviewee is noted in the container list along with the length of the interview. The content of the interviews span the life histories of the individuals and address the topics of community and family life from the turn of the century to 1976. The recorded interviews along with the individual's project case files provide a personalized overview of the history of Homestead.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

ULS Archives & Special Collections, October 1980

Revision Description

 Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to EAD Version 2002  August 24, 2006

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Copyright

Permission for publication is given on behalf of the University of Pittsburgh as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Pennsylvania Ethnic Heritage Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh, on January 28, 1980.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Katie Kirwan in October 1978.

Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Jamie Shriver on November 10, 2003.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

• Homestead Album Oral History Project.
• Pennsylvania Ethnic Heritage Studies Center.
• University of Pittsburgh. University Center for International Studies.

Genre(s)

• Indexes
• Interviews
• Oral histories (Document genres)
• Transcripts

Geographic Name(s)

• Homestead (Pa.) -- History
• Pennsylvania -- History, Local
• Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- History
• Pittsburgh (Pa.) -- Population

Subject(s)

• Ethnic groups
• Ethnic groups -- Pennsylvania
• Ethnicity -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
• Historians -- Pennsylvania

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Previous Citation

Homestead Album Oral History Project Records, 1975-1977, AIS.1980.06, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh

Homestead Album Oral History Project, 1976-1977, AIS 80:6 OH, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh

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Collection Inventory