Oral Histories at the Rakow Library: Overview

Oral histories are recorded interviews with people who have intimate, personal, and unique stories about the past. At the Rakow Research Library, our collection of oral histories focuses on the impact of glass in Corning, NY, and around the world. The recordings in our collection explore a wide range of topics and professions, including glass artists and technicians, glass factory employees, Corning Museum of Glass institutional history, and topics unique to Corning, like the flood of 1972.

We are always interested in adding to our oral history collection. If you would like to contribute your story or recommend someone, please contact us.

Image caption: Jim Friant, Paul Stankard, Lucio Bubacco, and Brad Turner (interviewer) met in 2015 to record an oral history celebrating 50 years of studio glassmaking.