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Baltimore Voices Company Records

 Collection
Identifier: R0020-BVC

  • Staff Only
  • Place requests at folder level.

Scope and Contents

The collection contains materials documenting the history and work of the Baltimore Voices Company, a theatre project connected to the Baltimore Neighborhood Heritage Project (BNHP), between 1977 and 1982. The Baltimore Voices Company's theatrical play was performed in Baltimore in 1980. Materials in the collection include oral history audio recordings, transcripts of interviews, biographical sketches, publications, posters, correspondence, writings, musical sheets, and brochures. The collection contains digitized copies of oral histories and textual documents. The collection also includes photographs and oversized materials.

Dates

  • 1977-1982

Creator

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Digital versions of many of the oral history interviews and related documents in this collection are available online through this finding aid.

Conditions Governing Use

To the extent that they own copyright, the donor has assigned the copyright of this collection to the University Foundation. However, copyright for some items in this collection are held by their respective creators.

Historical Note

Formed in 1979, the Baltimore Voices Company was the Theatre Project's contribution to a larger, multi-facetted local history initiative known as the Baltimore Neighborhood Heritage Project (BNHP). BNHP was a community history project created by the University of Baltimore and the Baltimore Regional Institutional Studies Center (BRISC) that was active between 1978 through 1981. It included community members and academic historians who partnered to document the local histories of several older Baltimore neighborhoods. BNHP aimed to connect neighborhood members with their local histories through materials created throughout the project. BNHP recorded and collected oral histories from over 200 longtime residents of seven Baltimore neighborhoods including Highlandtown, Hampden, Park Heights, Little Italy, South Baltimore, Old West Baltimore, and East Baltimore. The Project also conducted interviews with workers in and around the Port of Baltimore. Additionally, BNHP presented the collected oral histories, photographs, and ephemera through a traveling exhibit, a published book of oral history transcripts and collected photographs, and a theatrical play.

In order to create a theatrical production that was performed throughout Baltimore City in 1980, Baltimore Voices Company members utilized existing BNHP oral histories and conducted their own tape-recorded interviews. The BVC's interviews were focused around specific themes, including labor, education, and community organizing.

Information for this historical note was gathered from the finding aid for the Baltimore Neighborhood Heritage Project (R0014-BNHP), Special Collections and Archives.

Extent

16.13 Linear Feet (21 containers) : Audio cassette tapes and paper materials

Arrangement

Collection is arranged in seven series and includes one box of oversized records.

  • Series 1: Oral Histories
  • Series 2: Photographs
  • Series 3: Financial Records
  • Series 4: Legal Documents
  • Series 5: Correspondence
  • Series 6: Youth Writing
  • Series 7: Literary Productions
  • Boxes 5-7: General Records
  • Box 8: Oversized Records

Custodial History

This collection was originally part of the Baltimore Regional Institutional Studies Center (BRISC) at the University of Baltimore.

Accessing Digital Copies

Digital versions of many of the oral history interviews and related documents in this collection are available online through this finding aid. Locate records by using the "Print" button above, or browse records in “Collection Organization." Records with associated digital objects are identified with a red Digital Object icon.

Related Materials

Related materials include the Baltimore Neighborhood Heritage Project (R0014-BNHP) held at the Special Collections and Archives, University of Baltimore.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Aiden Faust in 2011. Audio casette tapes were digitized by Aiden Faust in 2011 and published online by Fatemeh Rezaei in 2020.

Creator

Title
Finding aid for the Baltimore Voices Company Records
Author
Finding aid created by Special Collections and Archives staff. Revised by Aiden Faust (2011). Revised by Fatemeh Rezaei (2019-2020). Revised by Laura Bell (2020).
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Baltimore Studies Archives Repository

Contact:
H. Mebane Turner Learning Commons, Room 104
1415 Maryland Avenue
Baltimore Maryland 21201 USA
410-837-4253