Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project records
Scope and Contents
The Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project includes interview transcripts and audio recordings (cassette tapes and digital files); plus related correspondence, releases, and photographs (primarily color photocopies). Some interviewee files contain additional biographical material, writings, speeches, and memorabilia. Some administrative records of the project are also included.
Digital audio interviews and transcripts are available for most interviews. Contact archives staff for access.
Dates of Materials
- Creation: 1944 - 2020
Creator
- Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Some of the oral histories in this collection have restrictions on access. Please see the notes attached to an individual interview for information about restrictions that apply to it.
Conditions Governing Use
The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to the oral histories, except where noted on individual release forms. Copyright to other materials may be owned by the creators or their heirs or assigns. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Biographical / Historical
This oral history project began in 1997 when Arden Eversmeyer started working with women she knew who were ill and dying in her community of Houston, Texas. Next, she began collecting stories from friends as she traveled. The project came to be called the Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project and expanded to include the life stories of lesbians 70 and older (i.e., those who were born in the early years of the 20th century). Twenty two of the interviews were published in the book A Gift of Age: Old Lesbian Life Stories by Arden Eversmeyer and Margaret Purcell (2009).
Extent
21.771 linear feet (34 containers)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The project, begun by Arden Eversmeyer in 1997, continues to collect the life stories of lesbians 70 and older from around the country. The collection includes full transcripts and audio recordings (tapes and digital files); plus related correspondence, releases, and photographs (primarily color photocopies). Some interviewee files contain additional biographical material, writings, speeches, and memorabilia.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Audiovisual material in this collection has been digitized, but is not available online. As a preservation measure, researchers must use digital copies of audiovisual materials in this collection. Please consult with Special Collections staff or email specialcollections@smith.edu to request access to digital copies.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Arden Eversmeyer and Margaret Purcell, 2011-2023.
Existence and Location of Originals
Photographs and supplemental materials found in this collection are copies, and Special Collections does not own the originals. Originals are held by the narrators of the oral herstories in this collection.
Additional Formats
Most transcripts and original audio tapes have been copied to digital files for research use.
Processing Information
Between September 2022 and February 2023, Smith College Special Collections renumbered many boxes to eliminate duplicate numbers within collections in order to improve researcher experience. A full crosswalk of old to new numbers is available.
Source
- Purcell, Margaret (Person)
- Eversmeyer, Arden (Person)
Subject
- Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project (Organization)
- Title
- Finding aid to the Old Lesbian Oral Herstory Project records
- Status
- Legacy Finding Aid (Updated)
- Author
- Madison White
- Date
- 2014, 2019
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 07/26/2017: This resource was modified by the ArchivesSpace Preprocessor developed by the Harvard Library (https://github.com/harvard-library/archivesspace-preprocessor)
- 2017-07-26T17:48:22-04:00: This record was migrated from InMagic DB Textworks to ArchivesSpace.
- 2018-10-04: Updated legacy finding aid
- 2018-10-12: Removed link to online playlist
- 2020-01-23: Added new accession
- 2020-05-26: Added basic container inventories and removed old narrator list in preparation for adding access and use information
- 2021-07-02: Content description added from accession inventories
- 2020-10-04: Made clear in description that we only have digital files for SOME of the recordings and transcripts
- 2023-02-13: Added 33 new oral histories and combined separate lists into a single listing
Repository Details
Part of the Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History Repository
