The Audio Collection is based at the South Wales Miners' Library and forms part of the South Wales Coalfield Collection.
The South Wales Coalfield Collection (SWCC) succeeds through its variety of archival media in giving an insight into the experience of the South Wales Valleys during a period of industrial turmoil both from an institutional and personal perspective. It contains records of trade unions (notably the South Wales Miners' Federation, later the National Union of Mineworkers (South Wales Area) and the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation, South Wales Division), miners' institutes, co-operative societies, and individuals connected with the mining community.
The Collection was established in 1969 as an attempt to preserve the documentary records of the mining community of South Wales. At that time over one hundred mines had been closed since nationalisation, more pit closures were threatened and such records were in danger of being destroyed. Fortunately the officers of the National Union of Mineworkers (South Wales Area) were aware of the problem and began the transfer of their non-current records to the Library at University College Swansea while encouraging their constituent lodges to do the same.
In 1971 the South Wales Coalfield History Project was set up, funded by the Social Science Research Council, to locate and collect manuscript and printed material of archival significance. Such was the success of the Project which lasted until 1974, that it was followed by a second from 1979-82. A great deal of archive material was deposited from miners' lodges and institutes, co-operative societies and by individuals. Another aspect of the project was the recording of interviews with people connected with the mining community.
When you arrive at the Miners' Library a member of staff will find you a place to sit in our reading room and will facilitate your access to the audio collection. Material is held on cassette, video and CDs, and is also accessed digitally.
Some of the audio tapes have accompanying transcripts, please ask a member of staff for more details. Staff will ask you to sign a copyright declaration form before you leave, for copyright compliance purposes.
Abstracts for the Oral Histories may be viewed on the SWCC website.
The First South Wales Coalfield Project, 1972-74, was sponsored by the Social Science Research Council; its aim being to produce an oral history collection from the South Wales Coalfield.
This first project concentrated largely on the labour/social history of the coalfield up until 1945. The project was grouped into various studies, including village life. These give insights into particular communities, such as Maerdy (Little Moscow) during this period of strikes, wars, unemployment and depression.
Other recorded groups include founder members of the South Wales Miners' Federation, local leaders, and Members of Parliament. There are also studies concentrating on the miners' institutes, libraries, and welfare halls, and adult education in the valleys, especially during the inter-war period.
With a "rank and file" group, which includes sportsmen, doctors, and other people from outside the mining industry, the First South Wales Coalfield Project gives a lively and unique account of life in the South Wales mining valleys before 1945.
The establishment of the South Wales Miners' Library in 1974, in the Department of Extra-Mural Studies at Swansea University, created a new use for the oral history collection compiled during in the First South Wales Coalfield Project 1972-74.
This part of the collection therefore concentrated more on compiling teaching-tapes from the previous project, which could be used for educational purposes. Topics include "Women in the coalfield", "The 1926 General Strike" and "Spanish Communities in South Wales". These compilation tapes are useful as a general introduction to the history of the South Wales mining communities.
In addition, many extra-mural lectures relevant to the South Wales coalfield were recorded, as were Llafur conferences. A small number of interviews were also recorded during this project.
These recordings mainly concern the South Wales coalfield. However they have been grouped together as a miscellany they do not fit into any of the other project categories.
The Second South Wales Coalfield Project, 1979-82, was again sponsored by the Social Science Research Council, its aim being to produce an oral history collection focusing on the national profile of the coal mining industry, although maintaining the South Wales Coalfield as its base.
The second project concentrated more on the post-1945 period, with greater attention being given to the national profile, management, and the "decision makers" within the energy sector.
This collection includes interviews with former Prime Ministers and mining constituency Members of Parliament; chairmen from the National Coal Board, British National Oil Corporation, and British Petroleum; as well as national figures of coalfield leadership.
Also included is a study on members from the NUM South Wales Area, local lodge officers, and discussion groups from Maerdy, Penllergaer, and Aberdare collieries.
With a "rank and file" group, which includes a chest physician, teacher, and factory workers, the Third South Wales Coalfield Project gives a vivid account of recent events at national and local level within the coal mining industry.
This category is a collection of individual projects, all of which relate to the South Wales Coalfield, but have been seperately produced.
The 1972 and 1974 strike studies were collected during the course of a Social Science Research Council project, but are quite distinct from the theme of the project.
This section contains recordings of events such as conferences, eisteddfodau, galas and commemorative occasions. It also includes a variety of radio records.
The adult education theme is strong also, with many of the recordings being of seminars and residential courses.
These recordings represent a different aspect of the coalfield, giving vivid accounts of various gatherings of the coalfield workforce and their leaders.