Local history

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Exhibition hall displaying local history displays and objects Winona County History Center-Armory-05.jpg
Exhibition hall displaying local history displays and objects

Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context, often concentrating on a relatively small local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history. Local history is not merely national history writ small but a study of past events in a given geographical area which is based on a wide variety of documentary evidence and placed in a comparative context that is both regional and national. [1] Historic plaques are one form of documentation of significant occurrences in the past and oral histories are another.

Contents

Local history is often documented by local historical societies or groups that form to preserve a local historic building or other historic site. Many works of local history are compiled by amateur historians working independently or archivists employed by various organizations. An important aspect of local history is the publication and cataloguing of documents preserved in local or national records which relate to particular areas.

In a number of countries a broader concept of local lore is known, which is a comprehensive study of everything pertaining to a certain locality: history, ethnography, geography, natural history, etc.

Local contexts

Examples of local history books about people and monuments in the province of Pistoia WLM Toscana 2018 7.jpg
Examples of local history books about people and monuments in the province of Pistoia

Local history tends to be less documented than other types, with fewer books and artifacts than that of a country or continent. Many local histories are recorded as oral tales or stories and so are more vulnerable than more well known issues. Artifacts of local history are often collected in local history museums, which may be housed in a historic house or other building. Individual historic sites are inherently local, although they may have national or world history importance as well. Many however have little overall historical impact but add depth to the local area.

Australia

Viewing resources in the local history collection, Townsville, Queensland, Australia Local History Room Flinders Street.jpg
Viewing resources in the local history collection, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

In Australia, local history is focussed on specific cities and suburbs or country towns and regions. In cities, local history might concentrate on a CBD and its bordering suburbs, on a specific suburb or municipality, or on an agglomeration of suburbs and municipalities (because local government boundaries have changed over time). Outside the larger cities, local history often examines regional towns and surrounding areas.

Records are typically stored at state libraries, public libraries, historical societies and public record offices. For example, the State Library of Victoria holds extensive local history records for Melbourne and other places in Victoria. Many other Melbourne libraries have local history collections, along with the Public Record Office Victoria and the Royal Historical Society of Victoria. In New South Wales, the Royal Australian Historical Society has studied local history as part of its remit since its founding in 1901. It holds local history records along with the State Library of NSW and other state and local libraries and archives.

Historians have examined the ways local history has been written in Australia since the nineteenth century. Early on, the emphasis was on pioneer and settler history. [2] The creative ways that local history contributed to making community has also been argued. [3] Subsequently, local history, urban history, public history and heritage were closely connected in Australia. [4]

United Kingdom

Saltash Museum & Local History Centre, Cornwall, UK Saltash Museum & Local History Centre - geograph.org.uk - 59306.jpg
Saltash Museum & Local History Centre, Cornwall, UK

The British Association for Local History in the United Kingdom encourages and assists in the study of local history as an academic discipline and as a leisure activity by both individuals and groups. Most historic counties in England have record societies and archaeological and historical societies which coordinate the work of historians and other researchers concerned with that area. [5]

Local history in the UK took a long time to be accepted as an academic discipline. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was widely regarded as an antiquarian pursuit, suitable for country parsons. The Victoria History of the Counties of England project begun in 1899 in honour of Queen Victoria with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of England. The project is coordinated by the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London. The first academic post related to local history was at Reading University which appointed a research fellow in local history in 1908. There was a department of local history (but without a professor) at Leicester University from 1947. H. P. R. Finberg was the first Professor of English Local History. He was appointed by Leicester in 1964. [6] Local history continues to be neglected as an academic subject within universities. Academic local historians are often found within a more general department of history or in continuing education.

Local history is rarely taught as a separate subject in British schools. In 1908, a Board of Education circular had urged that schools should pay attention "to the history of the town and district" in which they were situated. [7] In 1952, the Ministry of Education suggested schools should use local material to illustrate national themes. [8] Within the current National Curriculum, pupils at level 4 are expected to "show their knowledge and understanding of local, national and international history". [9]

The Alan Ball Local History Awards were established in the 1980s to recognize outstanding contributions in local history publishing in the UK (both in print and in new media), and to encourage the publishing of such works by public libraries and local authorities. [10]

Local history can become a crucial component to policy-making and serve as a marketable resource and this is demonstrated in the case of Northern Ireland. Aside from its contribution to local development, local history is being used as a non-contentious meeting ground in addressing conflicting traditions by reinforcing shared past rather than adversarial political history. [11]

United States

Dedication of the Ell Persons historical marker in Memphis, Tennessee Ell Persons Marker Dedication in Memphis, Tennessee.jpg
Dedication of the Ell Persons historical marker in Memphis, Tennessee

In the United States, local history is usually concentrated on any history of the place and people from a particular village or township. [12] Several villages and townships would comprise one county or county history. Library records are often divided by State, then county, then township/local history. The American Association for State and Local History is the professional association for history professionals, volunteers, museums, historical societies, and other history-related organizations and public history professionals

In the United States, 79,000 historic sites are identified as listings on its National Register of Historic Places. State and local municipalities often have additional landmark designations to cover sites of more purely local interest.

In addition, many regional and state historical societies maintain regional history and actively seek out missing historical collections.

A new form of local history is the movement of "If This House Could Talk" projects in various urban neighborhoods in the United States. These small scale locally generated history events encourage an interest in history and provide for open-ended participation by the general public. However, there is often no vetting or third-party review of the factual evidence that is presented, and therefore such presentations may require oversight by professional third-party history organizations if they are to be transcribed into ongoing collections of local history.

Slavic countries

Shyshaky Museum of Local Lore Shyshaky Museum of local lore.JPG
Shyshaky Museum of Local Lore

In several Slavic countries there is a related study which may be translated from the local languages as "country lore" or "local lore". In addition to history, it also incorporates other local studies, such as local geography, nature, and ethnography.

In Russia local lore is known as krayevedenie (ru:Краеведение). It is taught in primary schools. There are also local lore museums known as krayevedcheskie muzei. In modern Russia the concept of "regional studies" (ru:Регионоведение) is also considered. [13]

In Ukraine, the study of local history and regional ethnography is known as krayeznavstvo (uk:краєзнавство). The National Union of Local Lore Researchers of Ukraine is a professional society for researchers of ethnology and local studies in Ukraine. It was founded in 1925 and has 3,000 members in 17 chapters. [14] The society has published its journal Краєзнавство since 1927. [15]

In Poland, the corresponding concept is called touring ( pl:Krajoznawstwo ), the term known since 1902. In modern Poland various organized krajoznawstwo activities are carried out by Polskie Towarzystwo Turystyczno-Krajoznawcze, roughly translated as "Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society".

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oral history</span> History taken verbally and recorded or transcribed

Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who participated in or observed past events and whose memories and perceptions of these are to be preserved as an aural record for future generations. Oral history strives to obtain information from different perspectives and most of these cannot be found in written sources. Oral history also refers to information gathered in this manner and to a written work based on such data, often preserved in archives and large libraries. Knowledge presented by Oral History (OH) is unique in that it shares the tacit perspective, thoughts, opinions and understanding of the interviewee in its primary form.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Industrial archaeology</span> Archaeological sub-discipline

Industrial archaeology (IA) is the systematic study of material evidence associated with the industrial past. This evidence, collectively referred to as industrial heritage, includes buildings, machinery, artifacts, sites, infrastructure, documents and other items associated with the production, manufacture, extraction, transport or construction of a product or range of products. The field of industrial archaeology incorporates a range of disciplines including archaeology, architecture, construction, engineering, historic preservation, museology, technology, urban planning and other specialties, in order to piece together the history of past industrial activities. The scientific interpretation of material evidence is often necessary, as the written record of many industrial techniques is often incomplete or nonexistent. Industrial archaeology includes both the examination of standing structures and sites that must be studied by an excavation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archive</span> Accumulation of historical records

An archive is an accumulation of historical records or materials – in any medium – or the physical facility in which they are located.

<i>Victoria County History</i> English history project

The Victoria History of the Counties of England, commonly known as the Victoria County History or the VCH, is an English history project which began in 1899 with the aim of creating an encyclopaedic history of each of the historic counties of England, and was dedicated to Queen Victoria. In 2012 the project was rededicated to Queen Elizabeth II in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee year. Since 1933 the project has been coordinated by the Institute of Historical Research in the University of London.

A family history society or genealogical society is a society, often charitable or not-for-profit, that allows member genealogists and family historians to profit from shared knowledge. Large societies often own libraries, sponsor research seminars and foreign trips, and publish journals. Some societies concentrate on a specific niche, such as the family history of a particular geographical area, ethnicity, nationality, or religion. Lineage societies are societies that limit their membership to descendants of a particular person or group of people of historical importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">W. G. Hoskins</span>

William George Hoskins was an English local historian who founded the first university department of English Local History. His great contribution to the study of history was in the field of landscape history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recorded history</span> Historical narrative based on a written record

Recorded history or written history describes the historical events that have been recorded in a written form or other documented communication which are subsequently evaluated by historians using the historical method. For broader world history, recorded history begins with the accounts of the ancient world around the 4th millennium BC, and it coincides with the invention of writing.

Local history is the study of the history of a relatively small geographic area; typically a specific settlement, parish or county. English local history came to the fore with the antiquarians of the 19th century and was particularly emphasised by the creation of the Victoria County History series in England. Its establishment as a formal academic discipline is usually credited to W. G. Hoskins who also popularised the subject with his book The Making of the English Landscape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History</span> Study of the past

History is the systematic study and documentation of the human past.

An architectural historian is a person who studies and writes about the history of architecture, and is regarded as an authority on it.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to anthropology:

Irene Joan Thirsk, was a British economic and social historian, specialising in the history of agriculture. She was the leading British early modern agrarian historian of her era, as well as an important social and economic historian. Her work highlighted the regional differences in agricultural practices in England. She also had an interest in food history and local English history, in particular of Hadlow, Kent.

The Southern Historical Association is a professional academic organization of historians focusing on the history of the Southern United States. It was organized on November 2, 1934. Its objectives are the promotion of interest and research in Southern history, the collection and preservation of the South's historical records, and the encouragement of state and local historical societies in the South. As a secondary purpose the organization fosters the teaching and study of all areas of history in the South.

The Federation of Australian Historical Societies (FAHS) is the peak body for historical societies throughout Australia. It has eight constituent members, one in each of the Australian states and internal self-governing territories. It lobbies governments on behalf of the sector and has formed alliances with other related bodies. It promotes uniform national standards through guides and other publications and fosters historical research, writing and education through fellowships and awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Hirst (historian)</span> Australian historian

John Bradley Hirst, was an Australian historian and social commentator. He taught at La Trobe University from 1968 until his retirement in 2006, edited Historical Studies—Australia's leading historical journal—from 1977 to 1980, and also served on the boards of Film Australia and the National Museum of Australia. He has been described as an "historian, public intellectual, and active citizen". He wrote widely on Australian history and society, publishing two well-received books about colonial New South Wales. Hirst also frequently published opinion pieces in the media.

Victor Henry Thomas Skipp was an English local historian, art collector and amateur philosopher, who left his estate to Kettle's Yard in Cambridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geelong Library and Heritage Centre</span>

The Geelong Library and Heritage Centre is a regional library, archive and resource facility in the city of Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Geelong Free Library was begun in 1858. The Geelong Historical Records Centre was established in 1979 as a depository for significant historical records and archives from the district. The centre is a Place of Deposit, as part of the Public Record Office Victoria network of community archives designated for the preservation of Victoria's history. It is described as ...the largest regional archive in Victoria.

The historiography of the United Kingdom includes the historical and archival research and writing on the history of the United Kingdom, Great Britain, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. For studies of the overseas empire see historiography of the British Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dmytro Bahalii</span> Ukrainian historian

Dmytro Ivanovych Bahalii was a Ukrainian historian and public and political figure, one of founding members of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and a full member of the Shevchenko Scientific Society since 1923. He was also a professor and rector at Kharkiv University, and mayor of Kharkiv (1914–1917).

References

  1. Kammen, Carol; Wilson, Amy (2012). Encyclopedia of Local History, 2nd ed. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press. pp. vii. ISBN   9780759120488.
  2. Hirst, John (1978). "The pioneer legend". Historical Studies. 18 (71): 316–337. doi:10.1080/10314617808595595.
  3. Griffiths, Tom (1996). Hunters and Collectors: The Antiquarian Imagination in Australia. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-0521483490.
  4. Davison, Graeme (2000). The use and abuse of Australian history. St. Leonards, N.S.W: Allen & Unwin. ISBN   978-1864487206.
  5. J. A. Raftis, . “British Historiography Decentralizes.” Journal of British Studies, vol. 9, no. 1, 1969, pp. 143–151. online
  6. Finberg, HPR; Skipp, VHT (1967). Local History: Objective and Pursuit. David & Charles. pp. 46–70.
  7. Finberg, HPR; Skipp, VHT (1967). Local History: Objective and Pursuit. David & Charles. p. 25.
  8. Finberg, HPR; Skipp, VHT (1967). Local History: Objective and Pursuit. David & Charles. p. 103.
  9. National Curriculum - level descriptions
  10. Local Studies Alan Ball Local History Awards Archived 2011-05-06 at the Wayback Machine Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, published 2011-11-02, accessed 2012-05-06
  11. Hey, David (2010). The Oxford Companion to Family and Local History. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780191044939.
  12. Stephan Thernstrom and Richard Sennett, eds., Nineteenth-century Cities: Essays in the New Urban History (1970)
  13. Ю. Н. Гладкий, А. И. Чистобаев. Регионоведение. Учебник для студентов высших учебных заведений (Regional Studies. A Textbook for Higher Education Students) Moscow, Гардарики, 2003.
  14. "Історія Національної спілки краєзнавців України" (in Ukrainian). National Union of Local Lore Researchers of Ukraine. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  15. "Краєзнавство" (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 20 January 2015. Individual issues of the journal are available from Wikimedia Commons

Further reading

Library guides