Interview with Edwin John Beer [sound recording]

Edwin Beer, who was educated as a chemist and was involved in the development of viscose, recalles his life in India from 1908 to 1924. The recollections are mostly concerned with prospecting for minerals. Summary of interview:- Childhood and early life; work in England as a chemist; going to Bombay...

Full description

Archive & Special Collections OA4/26 Closed

Order number: OA4, Memories of the British in India, Sound Cassettes, Box 1 [CLOSED]
Date(s) of creation: 30 September 1984
Level: Item
Format: Archive           
Main author: Beer; Edwin John (b 1879); geologist
Other authors: Blake; David M (fl 1983); librarian and interviewer

collection SOAS Archive
id OA4.26
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
scb_order_with OA4, Memories of the British in India, Sound Cassettes, Box 1 [CLOSED]
callnumber OA4/26
callnumber_txt OA4/26
callnumber-sort OA4/26
prefix_number 26
scb_previous_numbers OA2/175/1-3
title Interview with Edwin John Beer [sound recording]
scb_date_creation 30 September 1984
scb_level Item
level_sort 8/Collection/Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Sub-Collection/Series/Sub-Series/Sub-Sub-Series/File/Item
scb_extent 2 sound casettes
author Beer; Edwin John (b 1879); geologist
author_facet Beer; Edwin John (b 1879); geologist
Blake; David M (fl 1983); librarian and interviewer
authorStr Beer; Edwin John (b 1879); geologist
author_letter Beer; Edwin John (b 1879); geologist
author2 Blake; David M (fl 1983); librarian and interviewer
author2Str Blake; David M (fl 1983); librarian and interviewer
format Archive
scb_admin_history Edwin John Beer - Geologist and mineralogist; c1899-1908 worked as an analytical chemist engaged in perfecting the viscose material later known as rayon; took post in Bombay analysing manganese ores and assaying gold 1908; employed by the General Prospecting Syndicate, headed by Charles Jambon, to prospect for minerals in India c1909-14; searching for suitable sites for production of Portland Cement in India c1914-20.
scb_custodial_history Recorded as part of the ’Memories of the British in India’ project by India Office Library & Records [subsequently the Oriental and India Office Collection, British Library]. This recording was previously held at SOAS Library as part of the 'British in India Oral Archive Project' collection [Reference OA2], removed from this collection in August 2014 to reflect the recording’s alternative provenance as part of the ‘Memories of the British in India’ project.
description Edwin Beer, who was educated as a chemist and was involved in the development of viscose, recalles his life in India from 1908 to 1924. The recollections are mostly concerned with prospecting for minerals. Summary of interview:- Childhood and early life; work in England as a chemist; going to Bombay in 1908 to work on analysing manganese ore samples; losing his job and travelling India by train lloking for work; mineral prospecting and filling in the geological map of India; relations of the British and Indians, and his own personal relations with them; attitude of Indians to an unemployed European; opinions of Indian independence and British administration; the Amritsar massacre; experiences and sights seen when prospecting; ways of life of Indians and British: starting up Portland cement export trade: reasons for leaving India; methods of prospecting: living in the Kashmir region; the heat; his last day in India; servants; summing up of his experiences in, and thoughts about, India.
scb_access_status Closed
scb_conditions_gov_access Sound recording currently unavailable at SOAS Library due to preservation reasons. Researchers can access a copy of this audio recording at the British Library Listening & Viewing Service. For more details see www.bl.uk/listening or contact listening@bl.uk / 020 7412 7418.
scb_copyright Copyright held by British Library
scb_use_restrictions Private study only. For publication or broadcast please refer to Archivist
language English
language_search English
scb_originals Original sound recording of interview available at British Library Listening & Viewing Service [Reference: C63/151-155]
hierarchy_top_id_raw OA4
hierarchy_sequence OA4.0026

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