Oral history of British science

Long description:

Recordings in this collection can be played by anyone.

In-depth oral history interviews documenting the lives and careers of scientists, engineers, technologists and their teams at the centre of Britain’s scientific endeavour in the twentieth century.

In this unique collection of biographical interviews scientists reflect on their early life and background, their career, and involvement in the course of UK science in the twentieth century. Many of the interviews were undertaken as part of the project An Oral History of British Science, which aims to create a major archive for the study and public understanding of contemporary science in Britain. Previously, no comprehensive historical survey of British scientific endeavour and discovery existed which drew upon personal memory and experience.

This collection of interviews includes life-story recordings with Aaron Klug (chemist who studied viruses by electron microscopy), Max Perutz (molecular biologist who made significant advances in the study of haemoglobin), Joseph Rotblat (nuclear physicist who worked on the early development of the atomic bomb and a founding member of the Pugwash conferences) and Maurice Wilkins (joint prize-winner with James Watson and Francis Crick for work which included research into the structure of DNA) and with two distinguished medical practitioners Josephine Barnes (obstetrician), and professor of medicine Hubert Woods.

What the interviews tell us

One-to-one oral history interviews explore memories and recount narratives rarely found elsewhere. Personal testimony fills knowledge gaps, provides new insights, challenges stereotypical views, and overturns orthodoxies.

These recordings reveal collective memory, individual agency, gender, skill, influence and intentionality. Shifting consumer and educational trends and debates emerge alongside the impact of changing technologies, techniques and political context.

Ethical use of oral history

The interviewees have been generous in sharing their memories - often traumatic, confidential and intimate - and listeners are asked to treat this material with respect and sensitivity.

• Recordings should be analysed and presented in context, so that the interviewee’s meaning is not misconstrued.
• Quotations and audio clips should be referenced as, for example: “Interview with Charles Swithinbank by Paul Merchant, December 2009 – February 2010, An Oral History of British Science project, reference C1379/03 track xx, British Library Sound Archive”.

Each interviewee whose recording appears on this site has assigned copyright to The British Library Board and given their consent for the recording to be used for educational study. We have made every effort to contact all the interviewees and inform them about this project. However should any participant wish to discuss their involvement they should contact the Curator for Oral History at the British Library Sound Archive (oralhistory@bl.uk)

Oral history at the British Library

The interviews on this site are a small selection from the many thousands held in the Oral History section of the British Library. These recordings go back over 100 years and cover many facets of life in Britain.

Many interviews were gathered through National Life Stories, an externally-funded unit within the Library established in 1987 to “record first-hand experiences of as wide a cross-section of present-day society as possible”.

All recordings on this site are governed by licence agreements.