The Interview Process

The CAOHP selected interview candidates for a variety of reasons: quality of built work; relationships to significant architects, firms, and schools; inclusion of work in the Department of Architecture and the Ryerson and Burnham Archives's permanent collections; relevance of his or her life story in relation to other published and unpublished sources; and the physical health of the candidate. Ideally, the candidate was retired from active practice and able to fully commit the time and energies required for this project. Once an architect agreed to be interviewed and funding was secured, CAOHP staff conducted a pre-interview to discuss the project's protocol and to gather biographical information. Over the course of the following months, the interviewer then conducted extensive research into the architect's life and work using a variety of public and private resources. A detailed outline of questions was compiled by the interviewer before taping, but was not provided to the interviewee in advance. Ideally, interviews were conducted in two-hour increments over consecutive days. All interviews were recorded on 90-minute analog audio tapes.

The Transcription and Editing Process

Verbatim transcripts were produced from the audio tapes, according to established oral history methodology. The tapes were carefully transcribed and minimally edited to clarify content while preserving verbal mannerisms of the speaker and to maintain the flow and tone of the narrative. During the editing process, the interviewee reviewed the transcript for accuracy and filled in minor information, such as proper names and dates, that was not captured during the taped interview. To the final transcript, the interviewer added a preface that gives a brief overview of the architect's background and describes the circumstances of the interview. The interviewer also contributed a curriculum vita of the architect and a selected bibliography of the sources used in preparation for the interview. The editor then added a table of contents, an outline of interview topics, and an index of names and buildings mentioned in the transcript. Each transcript's index was also incorporated into the master index for the entire collection. The final hard-copy oral history text was then bound and copies were deposited in the Ryerson and Burnham Libraries at The Art Institute and in other institutions. Once transcribed, the audio tapes were transferred to the Institutional Archives of The Art Institute of Chicago for long-term preservation and are restricted from use.