More oral history online

These online exhibitions all feature oral history material and may be of interest in the classroom.

Victorians 1837 to 1901

Victorian Schooldays

The Victorian Schooldays online exhibition from the University of Leicester's Special Collections features extracts from oral histories about school buildings, teachers, the pupil's experience and games and recreation.  

Early 20th Century 1901 to 1918

Growing-Up in Late Victorian and Edwardian Leicester

Growing-Up in Late Victorian and Edwardian Leicester is an online exhibition using oral histories and photographs to explore the childhood memories of people growing up in and around Leicester at the turn of the 20th century. 

First World War Remembered

The First World War Remembered exhibition includes sound clips taken from longer interviews, carried out in the 1980s and 1990s, with people who lived through the First World War in Leicestershire and Rutland. The project was carried out with the help and support of the Leicester Arts and Museums Service, now Leicester Museums and Galleries. 

Interwar 1918 to 1939

Working Women in Interwar Leicester

Working Women in Interwar Leicester is an online exhibition about the work available for working class women in Leicester during the interwar period focusing on factory workers and women in domestic service.

Leicester 1918-1939

The Leicester 1918-1939 website uses oral history to cover different aspects of life in Leicester between the wars, from the influenza pandemic after WW1 to town planning leading up to WW2.

Post war 1945 to present

The Post War History of Leicester 1945-1962

The Post War History of Leicester 1945-1962 website looks at what happened in Leicester from immediately after the end of World War Two up until the early 1960s. It draws on the memories of local people to give a flavour of what life was like in an era before the internet, mobile phones and global communication.

Local study

EMOHA's YouTube Channel

As well as oral history content, EMOHA's YouTube channel has a playlist that features many videos about history in Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland.

Leicester Audio Trail

Leicester Audio Trail is an audio trail that takes you on a guided tour from Leicester's Town Hall via Highcross and Silver Street to the city's Clocktower. Oral history clips come from the collections of the East Midlands Oral History Archive. The commentary accompanying the tour is given by former BBC Radio Leicester presenter and producer Stephen Butt. The trail can also be found on EMOHA's YouTube channel.

Leicestershire Villages

Leicestershire Villages includes extracts from oral history interviews held in the East Midlands Oral History Archive about Leicestershire Villages. This resource offers a wealth of material about rural events and issues.

The Hosiery Industry

The Hosiery Industry includes extracts of oral history capturing how the 20th-century hosiery industry in Leicester was experienced by those who worked in it.

Dialect

Dialect is a series of voice clips demonstrating differences in regional accent and dialect across the East Midlands. These clips form part of a project carried out by researchers at the University of Leicester and Nottingham Trent University with funding from the British Academy. The project aimed to identify potential changes in the region's dialect that happened over the 20th century.

Sound Map of Leicestershire and Rutland

Sound Map of Leicestershire and Rutland is a digital map showcasing sounds from across Leicestershire and Rutland. It tells the story of the counties by using a mixture of oral histories and natural and ambient sounds to explore some of the important places and events that have defined life here over the years. Created as part of the British Library's Unlocking Our Sound Heritage project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Special Collections Online

Online heritage collections from the University of Leicester's Archives and Special Collections. The collection includes online access to around 700 oral histories - full length interviews and some shorter clips - from the East Midlands Oral History Archive. It also has historic trade directories from across the UK, photos of old Leicester, ghost signs, and much more of local history interest.