What can people tell us about domestic life in Illinois?

38 Oral histories, the actual words of a person recorded on tape, can provide an in-depth look at the way people felt and thought in the past. Oral histories lend a richness to the official records and material culture left behind. But as with all other sources of information about the past, oral histories do not provide the entire story. People's memories become faulty over time and personal bias can color a recollection of the past. To be more accurate they must be supplemented with written and pictorial materials.

© Illinois State Museum 31-Dec-96