FAQ

• Why is this project important?
  • The Historical Society of Cheshire County is developing and launching a project to record oral histories from members of the Monadnock region’s LGBTQIA+ community. The initiative aims to preserve the voices and stories of individuals within our community, providing a platform for them to share their unique experiences, histories, and memories, ultimately contributing to our region’s collective cultural and historical heritage. This project will create an archive of oral histories that reflect the diverse experiences of our community, ensuring that these stories are preserved for future generations. Oral histories will fill gaps in the Historical Society’s collection, especially related to 20th and 21st century history.
• What are archives?
  • An archive is a place where people can go to gather firsthand facts, data, and evidence from primary sources such as letters, reports, notes, memos, photographs, interviews, and more. Archives are filled with unique historical documents evidencing our shared past. These records are crucial to understanding our history, and they allow us to reflect on present day society. Archives are important because a world without archives has no collective memory. Whether or not you realize it, you probably have an archive in your home! It might be in a filing cabinet in your study, a box in the basement, or a chest in the attic. It is your personal archive: a collection of material that records important events from your own personal history.
• What is oral history?
  • Oral history is a field of study and a method of gathering, preserving and interpreting the voices and memories of people, communities, and participants in past events. An oral history interview generally consists of a well-prepared interviewer questioning an interviewee and recording their exchange in audio or video format.  Recordings of the interview are transcribed, summarized, or indexed and then placed in a library or archives. Oral histories offer a way of preserving the life stories of our community members, providing a local context for understanding 20th and 21st century events in our nation’s past. The Historical Society’s Oral History Studio will provide a safe space for community members to come together, share life stories, and feel connected in a meaningful way. Those stories will be archived in the Historical Society’s permanent collection for future educational use.
• How will these oral histories be used?
  • All Voices of Pride interviews will be reserved from public viewing for a period of five years. During this time, they might be used for specific educational programming by the Historical Society. After the five-year time capsule period, the oral history archives will be opened for public history education. This will help both HSCC and local historians develop educational programs and materials that utilize these oral histories to inform and engage students, researchers, and the wider public.
• How do I get involved?
  • You can sign up using THIS LINK to tell your story. You may follow this project on Instagram using the @NHVoicesofPride handle. Additionally, you may choose to email our project director, Jenna Carroll, at jcarroll@hsccnh.org to learn more.
• What autonomy and rights do I have when I tell my story?
  • The Voices of Pride project aims to maximize the autonomy and agency of the interviewee before, during, and after their oral history interview. Prior to the interview, participants will receive information about the studio, their rights, and the process. During the interview, participants can choose to pause, stop, or erase the recording at any time. After the interview and the consent to archive materials forms have been signed, interview participants may still choose to contact the Voices of Pride team to request we remove their interview from public access. Your story is yours, and we want to honor this.
• How public or private will my story become?
  • Within the five-year period of limited public access, your story may be used for limited educational programming by the Historical Society per your wishes specified in your release. Small clips of your story may appear in project trailers, mini-documentaries, and promotions. Once the five-year time capsule period has been lifted, your story will be made accessible to researchers, historians, nonprofits, and others wishing to learn more about LGBTQ+ history in the Monadnock region. The preservation and access of oral histories is guided by the Historical Society’s Collections Policy as well as its mission, vision, and core values.
• How can I contribute my story while maintaining privacy?
  • There are several options available to protect interviewee privacy as you contribute your story. Individuals may choose to include only first names or choose to remain anonymous within the Voices of Pride archive. Additionally, participants may request that their interview be audio-only rather than a video format. These approaches help ensure that storytellers maintain some control over their level of visibility and safety while preserving the historical value of their oral history; however, it is important to note that our team cannot guarantee total privacy since your story will inevitably include details specific to you and your lived experiences. If you have any additional inquiries about privacy accommodations, please reach out to our team so we can discuss options that work for you.