Storytelling and folklore have always played a vital role in our history and culture. From the earliest fables and songs to today’s podcasts and radio programs, humans have always relied on the spoken word to pass on knowledge, experiences, and wisdom from one generation to the next.
This tradition continues at the Museum, just as it has since the Museum of Bath at Work first opened in the late 1970s. Today, these stories are helping to shape new interpretation throughout the Museum in two important ways:
- By continuing to record interviews with local people about their lives and experiences.
- By making these interviews accessible to the public, both within the Museum and online.
The Background
The Museum of Bath at Work holds an incredible oral history archive containing more than 210 recordings. These interviews, collected from the 1980s onwards, cover a period from the 1880’s – today and capture the voices and experiences of local working people. Contributors include former employees of Stothert & Pitt, the Bath Mineral Water Hospital, Harbutt’s Plasticine, Bath Cabinet-makers, and many others!
These recordings provide fascinating insights into everyday life in Bath, detailing topics such as childcare, workplace, the first and second World War, local businesses, leisure activities, and changing working practices. Together, they form an invaluable historical record for future generations.
As part of the Museum Making project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are digitizing this collection to ensure it can be preserved, incorporated into new interpretation, and made accessible to a wider audience.
Today
Alongside preserving existing recordings, we are continuing build on this collection with new oral histories from people across Bath and the surrounding area. Over the past year, we have conducted more than 15 new interviews with local people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
By adding contemporary voices to the archive, we are ensuring that today’s stories are preserved for future generations. We aim to continue expanding the collection and significantly increase the number of interviews recorded by the end of 2027.
So far, we have had the pleasure of interviewing trade unionists, former cinema staff, local residents whose parents worked for the Admiralty, members of BEMSCA, and many others. These interviews will form part of new interpretation within the Museum by the end of 2026. They will also be featured in YouTube videos and, in time, made available through our website, helping to share Bath’s stories with an even wider audience.
What’s Next?
We will soon be interviewing a local organist as part of a new interpretation project exploring the life and work of William Sweetland renowned inventor, musician, painter, and Bathonian. As part of this project, we will also be recording the organ itself, bringing another aspect of Bath’s rich cultural heritage to life.
We are also planning a series of interviews with residents of Twerton and Whiteway to explore their experiences of gardening, growing, and horticulture. These stories will contribute to a new pop-up exhibition on farming and growing in Bath, scheduled for Easter 2027.
How Can You Help?
Are you a local resident with stories and experiences you would like to share? Or would you be interested in helping behind the scenes by digitizing recordings, editing audio, creating podcasts, producing YouTube content, or supporting our oral history program in other ways?
If so, we would love to hear from you.
By sharing your stories or volunteering your time, you can help preserve Bath’s rich social history for future generations!
If you would like to hear more, check out our YouTube Channel: MuseumOfBath – YouTube
Get in touch today by emailing coordinator@museumofbath.org