Miner - YKSMM: 2007.844 Richard worked at Walton Colliery on the Yorkshire coalfield


YKSMM: 2007.30 Chris started as an electrician at South Kirkby Colliery


The Museum uses digital recording equipment for interviewing, such as this minidisc recorder

Oral-History Collection 

Oral history is the recording of spoken memories and experiences. Our collection includes recollections from a whole range of individuals connected with the coal-mining industry and mining communities. From union workers to miners’ wives, and MPs to miners’ children, everyone has something interesting to say and experiences from which  we can learn. Hearing people speak in their own words makes this all the more powerful.

The oral-history collection is growing and includes poetry, music and the spoken word. Visitors can listen to recordings in the Museum library and the majority now have full transcripts and detailed summaries.

The Museum regularly uses recordings in its exhibitions and displays and we occasionally run oral-history workshops for schools, such as those linked to the family-history exhibition 'Routes to Your Roots'. Many recordings are made specifically for special exhibitions, for example recordings were made with mining artists such as Norman Cornish and Edith Hughes for the 2006 art exhibition 'Coal Faces, Mining Lives'.

The Museum is currently focusing on recording women's lives, older interviewees with early mining experiences and trade- union figures. For the current special exhibition, we are also looking for people who can talk about their experiences of miners’ galas, making banners and banner stories in general.