Dr Ian MacDougall was the long-standing research worker of the Scottish Working People's History Trust (SWPHT). In this video, recorded several years ago, he talks about his role in ensuring that historical records of working people are preserved.
Ian was the author of numerous works on social history including 'All men are Brethren' and 'Voice of work and home'. He played a pivotal role in persuading many trade unions, co-operatives and activists to deposit or donate their papers to Scottish archives and libraries, including the National Library of Scotland.
He also compiled many oral histories of working men and women over the past few years.
You can also read a transcript of this video.
The Scottish Working People's History Trust
The Scottish Working People's History Trust is a charitable body established in 1992 to champion the cause of working people's history.
The trust has three main aims:
- Saving sources: To search for and assist in the preservation of surviving documentary source material of the history of working people
- Recording recollections: To interview working people throughout Scotland and record their recollections of their working lives, housing, education, recreational and other experiences
- Editing and publishing: To edit and publish these documentary source materials and oral recollections and encourage the making of television, radio, film and theatre productions about the history of working people in Scotland.
Suggested discussion points
- Why do you think it's important to preserve records of working people in general?
- If you were responsible for gathering and documenting the lives of working people today, what would you choose to record? What formats would you save these in?
- What role do you think libraries, museums and archives have in preserving the history of working people?