Opie collection of children's games & songs
Opie, Iona (5 of 6) Cathy Courtney Oral History Collection
- Add a note
Log in to add a note at the bottom of this page.
- All notes
- My notes
- Hide notes
- Add to playlist
Log in to add this item to one of your personal lists.
- Add to favourites
Log in to add and display this item in your personal list of favourites on the right hand side of this page.
The British Library Board acknowledges the intellectual property rights of those named as contributors to this recording and the rights of those not identified.
Legal and ethical usage »
Type
sound
Duration
00:46:10
Shelf mark
C968/139
Recording date
1989-11-10
Recording locations
interviewee's home
Interviewees
Opie, Iona 1947- (speaker, male)
Interviewers
Wright, Elizabeth (speaker, female)
Abstract
Part 5: Relationship between anthropology and sociology and the work of IO & PO; mentions Edmund Leach’s reaction to their work. Mentions that the study of Children’s Folklore now more prominent; funding the Opie Prize in America. Changes in Britain reflected in children’s own culture. Popularity of games comes in waves; handclapping and skipping. Children’s singing and skipping games; origins as courtship games, superseded by newer games. Contemporary children’s toys. Setting up publishing firm (Mason & Balfour) with the paper allowance supplied to each ex-serviceman. Discusses changing opinions of children who became a ‘market’; publication of books aimed at children. Large toy trade in the seventeenth century. IO’s feelings of being overwhelmed by the responsibility of collecting toys and PO’s relaxed attitude; PO’s collection illustrative of every kind of children’s book. Desire to keep PO’s collection intact and in the UK after his death. IO donating half the value to the Bodleian; support from Hugo Brunner and Prince of Wales. Writing to the newspapers in 1950s to encourage donations of school lore. PO involved more in research and IO more occupied with children and housework. Collecting lore directly from children; open questionnaires. Visiting school playgrounds for research. PO lecturing. IO discusses ‘The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes’ and its public reception; disliked adulation. Discusses ‘A Dictionary of Superstitions’ and ‘The Treasures of Childhood’ with Brian Alderson’s introduction; help from RO for ‘Treasures’. Discusses Leotard. Enthusiasm of RO. Impact of PO’s death. Writing the preface for ‘The Oxford Book of Narrative Verse’.
Description
Life story interview with Iona Opie (1923-2017), folklorist.
Metadata record: