This week’s selection comes from Harriet Roden, Digital Learning Content Developer for Unlocking our Sound Heritage. Johnny Doughty was always singing songs about the sea and the shore. Born in 1903, he grew up in a fishing family in Brighton, Sussex. His grandmother took in washing, his uncle supplied the…

Jose Manuel de Prada-Samper is a researcher and writer with an expertise in mythology and folklore. Since 2011, he has been recording and investigating the culture of Afrikaans-speaking Khoisan descendants living in rural areas in the Western Cape and the Northern Cape provinces of South Africa. In March 2018 he…

This week’s recording of the week comes from Emma Burman, Learning and Engagement Coordinator. The role of a lifeboatman has never been an easy one. Before the widespread introduction of modern day lifeboats, with electronic mapping and covered shelter, men responded to calls in open topped boats. These boats had…

Last week the British Library launched Coast, a new web space dedicated to sounds and stories from Britain’s incredible coastline. Covering everything from superstitions and working conditions to wildlife and entertainment, this collection brings together field recordings, interview excerpts and music from across the sound archive. Many of these recordings…

This week’s selection comes from Nick Morgan, Audio Project Cataloguer for Unlocking our Sound Heritage. Joseph Sussman (1920-2013) was surrounded by music – literally: his house and garage were crammed full of 78s, LPs, CDs, reel-to-reel tapes, cassettes and videos. They vied for space with stacks of printed music and…