We will be adding to this resource page as current oral history projects with the local disability communities are completed.
Minnesota Psychiatry in the Mid - Late Twentieth Century Oral History Project, 1979-2011. The project is a collection of interviews of psychiatrists throughout Minnesota done in the 1970s by Drs. Marvin Sukov, David Cline, and Deane Manolis from 2009-2011. The interviews begin with recollections of the 1940s and 1950s and trace the progress of medicines, the perception of mental illness, and practice of psychiatrists in rural and urban Minnesota. The project includes a brief summary of the history of psychiatry in Minnesota and summaries of each interview. Link to finding aid and interview transcriptions
St Peter State Hospital patient recollections, 2016. Recollections of a former patient at St. Peter State Hospital hospitalized January through March of 1952. Subjects discussed include the patient's mental health struggles in the early 1950s; triggering events; what led to being taken to St Peter State Hospital; and recollections of the hospital, staff, and other patients. The recordings were made by the former patient, one on November 21, 2016 and two parts recorded on December 5, 2016 to retell his story after viewing his hospital file at the Minnesota Historical Society. Link to Part 1. Link to Part 2. Link to Part 3.
Minnesota Photographers Oral History Project: Interview with Jeff Farnam, 1990. Jeff Farnam is a photographer with an interest in the Block "E" area of Hennepin Avenue. He had a spinal cord injury while in high school that resulted in his status as a C-5 spinal cord injury quadriplegic. Subjects discussed include adapting cameras and photography equipment to the needs of the handicapped; wheelchair mobility and accessibility to subjects to be photographed; a description of Hennepin Avenue Block "E," and its bars and establishments. Link to digital audio and transcripts
Original materials, records, and newspapers on microfilm are available on site and reference staff can help with research.
Order copies of records, articles, or other specific materials from the MNHS collections.
MNHS loans out most microfilm materials. Contact your local library for more information and assistance with this service.
Some items such as newspapers, articles, photos and objects are available online. Look for links within this guide.
Many books listed in the Secondary Sources page can be borrowed from other libraries.
Gale Family Library
Minnesota Historical Society Library
Located on the Second Floor of the Minnesota History Center
345 West Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102
Library Hours:
Thursday to Saturday: 10am to 4pm
Sunday to Wednesday: Closed
More Information on Visiting the Library
Contact Us:
651-259-3300
