Oral & video history documentation

The Lemelson Center's oral and video history projects increase historical documentation on invention and innovation in the United States.
Above: Guitarist G.E. Smith is featured in the Electric Guitar Video Documentation Project. Smithsonian photo by Jeff Tinsley.

Full descriptions of the following collections may be found by searching the archives and manuscripts section of SIRIS, the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System. Unless otherwise noted, all collections are housed in the NMAH Archives Center. For further information, contact the Archives Center Reference Desk.

Oral & video history documentation is listed in alphabetical order by subject of interview. Date of interview is in parentheses.

Analog music synthesizer oral history interviews (1996-1998) Audio interviews documenting the pioneering engineers and musicians of the electronic music synthesizer from 1960 to 1970. Includes interviews with Don Buchla, Jonathan Chowning, Herbert Deutsch, Bill Hernsath, Bernie Krause, Robert Moog (Moog synthesizer), Tom Oberheim, Jay Pollock, Don Preston, Jim Scott, Walter Sear, and Reynold Weidenaar. 1 cu. ft.: 5 boxes containing approximately 30 hours of master tapes and transcripts.