Houston Arts and Media Begins Citywide Neighborhood History Project

Houston, TX - August 9, 2006 - Houston Arts and Media has begun a citywide project to research, compile, and record detailed histories of Houston Neighborhoods. This project, called Neighbor to Neighbor, will include the taking of hundreds of oral histories from our city's longest tenured inhabitants, and the collection and digitization of vintage and modern photographs and memorabilia, to preserve the smaller, more personal histories that traditionally broad treatments miss.

The recording of these interviews started on a small scale last June. The organizers are very pleased with the initial results. HAM President Mike Vance explains: "We wanted the stories of Houstonians from every walk of life. So far we've talked to people from all over town, East End, Heights, River Oaks, and from railroad workers and printers to Dr. Denton Cooley. Without exception, people's eyes lit up when they shared their early memories. What we're getting surpasses my greatest expectations."

Over the next several weeks, Houston Arts and Media will be enlisting and training volunteers from local civic and service organizations, church groups, and universities in the interview skills they will use as they collect histories from their neighbors. HAM will also be looking for volunteers skilled in architectural photography to help document Houston buildings with a storied past. There is a sense of urgency in our purpose as our neighborhood landmarks are vanishing under new development, and our oldest living witnesses are being lost to time.

The histories, to be published in more than twenty volumes as The Houston Neighborhoods Series, will give current and future residents of these areas the story of how their neighborhood developed; where their predecessors shopped, ate and played; what people of note lived nearby; and what businesses inhabited current buildings and sites. The material gleaned from these interviews will also lead to books such as Historic Houston Schools and Historic Houston Churches.

After publication, the audio recorded interviews will be donated to the Houston Public Library's Houston Metropolitan Research Center for use by future researchers.

Neighbor to Neighbor is a large undertaking, requiring the efforts of hundreds of Houstonians. Houston Arts and Media is looking to engage its neighbors in this undertaking, so that we can compile the necessary pictures and interviews to preserve these important stories. Parties interested in supporting these efforts through donations or volunteerism should contact Houston Arts and Media via e-mail at info@houstonartsandmedia.org.

About Houston Arts and Media:
Houston Arts and Media's purpose is to produce educational and historical film, video and books. The work will be done by members of Houston's creative, educational, research and production communities. Houston Arts and Media is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization.

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