More about the History Project
"History" said Henry Ford in 1916 "is more or less bunk!" and who will deny the old villain had a point? But, whether fiction or fact, history for many remains a prime fascination.
In 1986, seventy years after Henry delivered his bromide, a small group of somewhat elderly members of the Association of Cinematograph and Television Technicians mutually agreed that Something Should Be Done. They were concerned that a time had been reached when colleagues, friends, mentors, were making inevitable departures and taking with them irretrievable knowledge of the way things once were. The movie finger writes and having writ moves on...
Memories had been lost, attics had been cleared, skips had been filled. It seemed simply a duty - as well as an engrossing enterprise - to preserve some remembrance of things past, of those best of times, those worst of times. Few, if any, industries generate such loyalty and involvement as do film and television.
The founders of what is now the BECTU History Project settled on a primary intention to record personal recollections of individual lives and times in film and television. They settled to be voluntary, independent, self-financing, and on those bases have operated within the ambit first of ACTT then, after an amalgamation, of BECTU. Some of that original group are still involved, others sadly have now gone.
Recording started in 1987 on quality equipment purchased and donated. Audio was the chosen medium for being unobtrusive, inexpensive, and portable. The value of this new oral history initiative was quickly recognized by the British Film Institute which undertook to act as its repository. Original tapes go to the National Film & Television Archive for permanent preservation in controlled conditions. Copy tapes are provided to the BFI library where they are available for serious research.
In 1998 the number of individuals recorded by the Project was approaching five hundred on over one thousand C90 cassettes and many thousand hours of running time. Informationally they can range from slight - Where did you go? Out! What did you do? Nothing! sort of thing - to lengthy examinations in original voice and word of important and famous careers. Their subject matter is comprehensive. No more extensive archive dedicated to these specific fields exists in the country, perhaps anywhere.
The value is clear and proven. Future historians of film and television will have personal accounts by actual participants in all areas of such activity where they will find detail, revelation and the odd chuckle. To keep them further occupied they will encounter a contradiction or two, but bunk it is not.
Over the years as the venture became both settled and more widely known its focus extended. It's now routine to offer advice and information to historians, researchers, television and radio producers, authors, biographers, academics, etc.
The Project's members were themselves players of the game and collectively embrace a considerable fund of expertise and knowledge which they willingly pass on.
Sessions with interviewees can also bring to light unique documentation, stills and artefacts for which safe and suitable homes are then arranged.
The history and relics of BECTU, ACTT, BETA and their predecessor organisations are also of consuming interest and are zealously protected against bureaucratic disinterest.
The Project played an informed part during the Centenary of Cinema year, sponsoring half a dozen memorial plaques including those to Birt Acres and Robert Paul, the founding fathers of British cinema.
Occasional screenings and events have been organized and seminars contributed to. It especially enjoys friendly cooperation with the BFI, with BAFTA and with other professional bodies, and is developing a rewarding relationship with Sony Corporation. This major presence in production, distribution and leading edge technology recently made the generous gift of a digital camera to permit the Project to expand its activities.
Meeting monthly volunteers confront a full and diverse agenda and two cornerstone items invariably recur. The Project has always been self-financing and fund raising is fundamental to its survival. Comparatively small sums are enough to cover recording operations and underwriting them has been no great problem given individual generosity. Of continuing concern is the essential task of opening up the archive to easy access by transcribing the tapes. It is a huge one, extremely costly, growing every day.
At present anyone investigating the collection must listen to tape in laborious real time. Also given the wealth of unique material there is an ambition to publish. Transcription is therefore vital as a stage towards the ultimate objective of digital storage and on-line retrieval. It's a pity Henry Ford is not around to subsidize the operation but instead an application is in hand for a lottery grant to assess and implement procedures.
The History Project comprises friendly individuals always delighted to liase with their like minded. If you have a story to tell about a career in film, television, or other representational art or craft let us record you. Contact us if you would like to attend a meeting - younger, fresher recruitment is vital for our continuation. If you wish to help our activities in a practical fashion please send a donation, by cheque made payable to The BECTU History Project.
History Project members are determined that our artistic and industrial heritage survive to be handed on to our posterity and are doing their modest best to that end. Your active involvement, assistance and contribution will be warmly and gratefully received.