In 2004 the Hellenic Museum launched the Oral History project to document the experiences of Greek Americans and their unique stories. From life in Greece and Greek territories of Asia Minor where many Greeks once lived, to the trials and tribulations of immigration stories that included Ellis Island arrivals and long cross-country railroad journeys, the oral history project not only promotes the understanding of the immigrant experience but also teaches valuable lessons about history as seen through the eyes of our ancestors.
Important eras in American history are recalled too, like the Great Depression that decimated so many Greek American businesses and the World Wars, in which many of our parents and grandparents fought.
On October 12, 2007 the culmination of three years of work will be unveiled as the new Frank S. Kamberos Oral History Center will be unveiled at the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center in Chicago. The naming of the center comes after a generous contribution by long-time museum board member and Greek American community benefactor Frank Kamberos.
The massive undertaking was first developed with the assistance of Columbia College, whose students conducted interviews through their Growing Up Greek in Chicago project. Dedicated staff and volunteers at the museum worked diligently to see the project to fruition.
Renowned oral history scholars Prof. Artemis Leontis from the University of Michigan’s Department of Modern Greek Studies and Dr. Yiorgos Anagnastou from Ohio State University were called upon to provide their expertise and to ensure the project’s academic integrity.
Additionally, the museum tapped the knowledge and resources of Dr. George Tselos, Head of Reference Services at the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island Immigration Museum in New York and ethnic studies expert Dr. Elaine Thomopoulos, who was also instrumental in mounting a significant project about the Greeks of Berrien County.
Finally, in 2005, the museum commissioned an award winning multidisciplinary design collaborative firm named Sand_Box, to design and construct the interactive module that will comprise the new center.
The new Oral History Center will be the first of its kind in the Greek-American community and will serve as a cornerstone of the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center. The project designed by Sand_box, features an ultra-modern module that was created through a combination of hand cut and milled plywood layers that are intended to draw reference to the stratification of history.
Two unique interfaces allow both the casual museum visitor and the academic researcher an enriching experience. From the front of the structure visitors interact with a curated collection of histories, tokenized through sliding picture frames, which activate a collective queue that can be navigated and viewed from either end.
The academic interface is found inside a more intimate space created by the layered plywood. Here once can search the entire collection of histories with the backdrop of the layered screen.
The center will showcase a digital recording and playback center with audio and video-taped histories of dozens of participants, which will be accessible to visiting scholars as well as to the general public for viewing and research and will be categorized in multiple ways so people researching a particular region of Greece, or a particular historical period or year, can view all corresponding histories that relate to that particular category. For example, if a scholar is interested in World War II, the digital device will be able to locate and list all oral histories that relate to that period.
Greek Americans from throughout the nation are encouraged to document their family histories in the new Frank S. Kamberos Oral History Center at the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center in Chicago. Video-tapings can be arranged in your hometown by our staff or you can submit your own recordings, based upon established parameters and guidelines. For additional information, please contact Vivian Haritos, Director of Education and Oral History at the Hellenic Museum at vharitos@hellenicmuseum.org or call 312-655-1234.
