Catalog Record:
The Working in Paterson Project Collection consists of manuscript materials, sound recordings, graphic materials, and artifacts collected during the Working in Paterson Project conducted by the American Folklife Center in 1994. The study was part of the federal Urban History Initiative (UHI) program sponsored in Congress by U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg and administered by the National Park Service's Mid-Atlantic Regional Office. The four-month project, conducted between June and September 1994, explored occupational heritage and culture in Paterson, New Jersey, a city that is considered the cradle of the Industrial Revolution in America. The goal of the project was to examine how the idea of work intersects with other themes, such as family, ethnicity, gender, neighborhood, and change over time. The Paterson community yielded several additional themes that reflect both the history of industry in the United States and the specific experience of Patersonians. These themes include the continuity and change of manufacturing over time; the manufacturing process; the textile industry; industrial architecture; the impact of labor unions; diversity in the workplace; the ethnography of Watson Machine International; Paterson's distinctive food tradition, the Hot Texas Wiener; the role of agricultural occupations in urban areas; and work, family, and home.
In addition to Paterson, supplementary documentation was conducted in the following locations in New Jersey: Bloomfield, Clifton, Haledon, Hawthorne, Pequannock, Totowa, West Paterson, and Woodbridge. Documented ethnic groups include: African Americans, Arab Americans, Colombian Americans, Cuban Americans, Dominican Americans, Greek Americans, Hispanic Americans, Honduran Americans, Irish Americans, Italian Americans, Peruvian Americans, Polish Americans, and Puerto Ricans.
AFC Folklife Specialist, David A. Taylor, directed the field research that was carried out by folklorists Tom Carroll (a Paterson native), Robert McCarl, Susan Levitas, and Timothy Lloyd, documentary photographer Martha Cooper, and Taylor himself. The research team interviewed active and retired workers from important local industries, photographed workers and work-related events, and documented other aspects of Paterson's occupational heritage. Under the terms of the cooperative agreement between the National Park Service (NPS) and the American Folklife Center, the AFC developed and administered a study of occupational culture in Paterson, New Jersey, produced a draft report with the findings of the study and recommendations for future research and cultural programming, and provided the NPS with a reference copy of the field data.
The field research resulted in a multi-format collection. The
manuscript materials document the project from 1993, when the initial planning
began, to 2002, when the project materials were used to create the online
presentation, "Working in Paterson: Occupational Heritage in an Urban Setting,"
As noted earlier, this series contains two "post-fieldwork" sections. The first includes publications and ephemera the AFC continued to collect after the fieldwork was completed. The second section includes materials generated by the National Digital Library staff at the Library of Congress while creating the online presentation.
This collection contains 90 original sound recordings, both analog and digital audiotapes. The sound recordings are arranged alphabetically by fieldworker's name and then by tape number. The sound recordings contain interviews with residents of Paterson, New Jersey, and the surrounding area, as well as interviews by David Taylor with U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg and Congressman Bill Pascrell. Almost all of the sound recordings have accompanying audio logs. Information on whether or not an audio log exists for a particular sound recording can be found in the database, "WIP Sound Recordings Collection," which is on a zip disk in folder 1, and in hard copy in folder 4.
The Working in Paterson project produced 6,621 graphic materials, which include black-and white negatives, black-and-white photographic prints, color slides, and color photocopies. Black-and-white contact sheets are available to researchers in the Folklife Reading Room. The graphic materials are arranged alphabetically by fieldworker name, then numerically by slide tray or by contact sheet, and then numerically by individual image. While each of the fieldworkers took photographs, documentary photographer Martha Cooper produced the majority of the images in this series. Fieldworkers created logs for the graphic images that are summarized in the database, "WIP Graphic Materials Collection," (available on a zip disk in folder 1).
It should be noted that Martha Cooper's black-and-white image logs only provide information from roll WIP-MC-B001 to roll WIP-MC-B016, but her black-and-white images proceed to WIP-MC-B036. Using her color slides, it was possible to discern the subjects of these unidentified black-and-white images, but there is no way to be positive of the date these photographs were taken. Martha Cooper's color slides WIP-MC-C097-05 through WIP-MCC114-03 are all labeled with a red "X" because the photographer deemed them to not be among the best of the images. They were ultimately added to the collection because of the value of information they contain. Again, these images do not have corresponding logs, but were identified by comparison with logged color slides, and can also be found in the database.
The electronic media in this collection includes one zip disk, 174 CD-ROMs, and 29 3.5-inch high-density diskettes. The zip disk contains the databases for sound recordings and graphic materials and the contents of 38 diskettes of the fieldworkers' logs and field notes. The CD-ROMs contain digital files used in the online presentation. In July 2004, 29 3.5-inch diskettes were found and were added to the collection.
The final series contains 15 artifacts and ephemeral pieces donated by Paterson informants. The artifacts include product samples from work places in Paterson as well as union memorabilia.
The Working in Paterson Project was undertaken in connection with the federal Urban History Initiative (UHI). In accordance with the initiative, three cities in New Jersey--Perth Amboy, Trenton, and Paterson--each received government funds to develop revitalization programs. The National Park Service's Mid-Atlantic Regional Office administered programs in Paterson, including this study of occupational heritage. AFC Folklife Specialist, David A. Taylor, directed the project and conducted fieldwork along with folklorists Tom Carroll, Susan Levitas, Robert McCarl, Timothy Lloyd, and documentary photographer, Martha Cooper. At the time of the Working in Paterson Project, Tom Carroll was Assistant Director for Collections and Research at the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Susan Levitas was a self-employed folklorist/cultural consultant in the mid-Atlantic region. Robert McCarl was Research Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho. Timothy Lloyd was Acting Deputy Director of the American Folklife Center. Martha Cooper was a professional photographer in New York City.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.
Access to the collection is unrestricted. Upon request, reference
copies of the sound recordings and the black-and-white contact sheets are
available in the Folklife Reading Room. Duplication of the collection materials
may be governed by copyright and other restrictions. Information about ordering
audio and photographic reproductions is available on the Library of Congress
American Memory website at
The Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center (AFC), accessioned the Working in Paterson Project Collection, the product of an AFC-sponsored project, in 1995. During the digital conversion process, from 2000 to 2002, manuscript materials and electronic media were also added to the collection. Initial processing of the collection was done by Robin Fanslow. Christa Maher curated the online presentation of the collection from November 2000 to May 2002. Rosemary Graham arranged and processed the collection and created the initial version of the collection in September 2002. In July 2004, Sarah Bradley Leighton and Stephanie Schmitz resolved outstanding issues with the sound recordings series and added additional materials that were found after the original processing had been completed. All modifications are reflected in this updated version of the collection guide and its appendices.
Working in Paterson Project Collection (AFC 1995/028), Archive of Folk Culture, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
A selected version of the same collection is also available at the Paterson Free Public Library in Paterson, New Jersey.
Note: Sound recordings originally housed in boxes are stored in a separate location.
Hard copy of collection guide and zip disk containing the following:
Graphic Materials database. Fields include: ID number, frame, format, photographer, title, created/published, event, people in photo, location, notes, and repository.
Sound Recordings database. Fields include: audio number, audio log, informant, date, location, event, subject, format/quantity, and length.
Contents of Working in Paterson Project Collection diskettes: fieldworkers notes and logs. (See Series IV: Electronic Media)
For the Working in Paterson Project Collection housed at the Paterson Public Library in Paterson, New Jersey.
Calendar for June-September 1994 that lists where the fieldworkers were during the project. 9 pages.
Hard copy. Fields include: audio number, audio log, informant, date, location, event, subject, format/quantity, and length. 23 pages.
Table of places, people, dates, and events photographed by Martha Cooper during the Working in Paterson project. 2 pages.
Table of the events depicted in black and white photographs. Fields include: event, date created, call number, fieldworkers, notes, location. 8 pages.
Table of information from field notes; fields include: item, date, location, informant/event, fieldworker, and co-worker. 11 pages.
Agreement between American Folklife Center and National Park Service. Draft of agreement, signed final agreement with related correspondence. 50 pages.
Memos, notes, budget draft. 17 pages.
(National Park Service contact) Correspondence and planning documentation. 19 pages.
34 pages
(Project director). 15 pages.
Outline and two copies of memorandum. 5 pages.
Copy of public announcement for researchers. 2 pages.
Business cards, correspondence, list of names, receipt. 6 pages.
Applications, cover letters, resumes, correspondence from applicants selected to work on the project. 20 pages.
Directory of facilities in Paterson, a possible setting for project research. 24 pages.
Data sheet from
U.S. Senator (D-NJ). Correspondence, press releases, personal biographical data sheet, consent form, two visitor passes to Senate chamber, and one 8 x 10 black- and-white photo. 29 pages.
Park handbook, map, press releases, museum and festival brochures that provide examples of the city's industrial heritage. 20 pages.
11 pages.
8 pages.
Advisory committee meeting outlines and notes, project status report, grant program notes. 22 pages.
Fieldworker project proposals, contract, invoices, and progress reports, related correspondence, related paperwork from LC travel office. 79 pages.
Fieldworker correspondence, contract, LC purchase orders, LC purchase requisitions, notes. 33 pages.
Memo, notes. 3 pages.
"Notes on Archiving and Media Documentation: A Guide for Project Fieldworkers Prepared in Connection with the Project 'Working in Paterson'"(2 copies). 68 pages.
Fieldworker correspondence, contract, LC travel requisitions, notes. 33 pages.
Fieldworker correspondence, contract, invoices, notes. 31 pages.
Fieldwork assistant contract and invoice. 4 pages.
Fieldwork assistant contract and cancellation. 3 pages.
List of documentation equipment used during field survey. 16 pages.
Preliminary accounting of expenses. Invoices, purchase orders and miscellaneous documents. 126 pages.
Business cards for the Working in Paterson fieldworkers.
Copies of certificates sent to informants and others who assisted with the project. 8 blank certificates.
Letters sent to informants along with copies of
"American Folklife Center Documents Occupational Culture in Paterson, New Jersey," by David Taylor. 3 copies.
"Narratives of Work: Stories Told by Retired Workers and Their Children," by David Taylor, and "Paterson's Hot Texas Wiener Tradition," by Timothy Lloyd. 3 copies.
"African American Family Business in Paterson, New Jersey," by Susan Levitas. 3 copies.
Two articles that mention American Folklife Center's Working in Paterson project. 4 pages.
"Hot Texas Wiener entrepreneurs are on a roll,"
"Secret still in the sauce,"
Post-project correspondence with informants. Letters of thanks, letters accompanying
"American Folklife Center Documents Occupational Culture in Paterson, N.J." English and Spanish copies. 3 pages.
Informants' addresses. 5 pages.
English and Spanish. 3 pages.
6 pages, 3 pamphlets, 3 booklets (68 pages each)
Flyer
COSTA, Marianne (informant). Unpublished story of her memories and experiences of Dyers Local 1733, Amalgamated Clothing Textile Workers Union of America. 8 pages.
"Fifty Famous Patersonians Across 200 Years" from the Great Falls Visitor Center. 1 page.
"Geography Quiz: Where's the Texas in the Texas Wiener?,"
By Kathleen M. Kavanaugh.
[See Box 39]
June 1987, Volume 1, Number 1. 12 pages.
[See Box 39]
Spring/Summer 1990, Volume 1, Number 5. 12 pages.
Miscellaneous Paterson information. 212 pages.
Housed in promotional folder. Includes: Paterson profile, retail center and notable area resources, business mix and prominent employers, business resources, transportation, Paterson Economic Development Corporation board of directors. 6 pages.
Two black-and-white 8 x 10 photographs depicting scenes inside textile mills.
Postcards depicting various sites in and around Paterson, N.J. 9 cards.
Program from the "Comitato Festa Patronale San Rocco." 1 pages.
Background information about Stetin, a WIP informant who was a textile-union activist. 176 pages.
General information on northern New Jersey textiles. 2 pages.
Brochure, correspondence, photo, miscellaneous information. 4 pages.
Completed forms. 97 pages.
Master copies. 3 pages.
Completed forms. 115 pages.
Logs describing data to be found on diskettes (now found on zip disk); arranged alphabetically by fieldworkers' surname. 12 pages.
WIP-TDC-A001 through WIP-TDC-A027. 179 pages.
WIP-SL-A001 through WIP-SL-A022. 94 pages.
WIP-TL-A001 through WIP-TL-A002. 7 pages.
WIP-RM-A001 through WIP-RM-A011. 53 pages.
WIP-DT-A003, A004, A008-A011, A018, A019, A022-26. 26 pages.
WIP-TDC-B001 through WIP-TDC-B012. 30 pages.
WIP-MC-B001 through WIP-MC-B016. 17 pages.
WIP-SL-B001 through WIP-SL-B010. 14 pages.
WIP-TL-B001. 2 pages.
WIP-RM-B001 through WIP-RM-B015. 15 pages.
WIP-DT-B001 through WIP-DT-B004. 4 pages.
WIP-TDC-C001 through WIP-TDC-C027. 48 pages.
WIP-MC-C001- through WIP-MC-C097. 98 pages.
WIP-SL-C001 through WIP-SL-C015. 16 pages.
WIP-TL-C001 through WIP-TL-C003. 3 pages.
WIP-RM-C001 through WIP-RM-C027. 26 pages.
WIP-DT-C001 through WIP-DT-C008. 8 pages.
WIP-TDC-F061894 through WIP-TDC-F090994. 284 pages.
WIP-SL-F080394.A through WIP-SL-F082994.A. 75 pages.
WIP-TL-F081794 through WIP-TL-F081894. 3 pages.
WIP-RM-F080294 through WIP-RM-F081794. 55 pages.
WIP-DT-F080494 through WIP-DT-F081194. 13 pages.
"21st Avenue Report." January 3, 1995 (Revised on October 2, 1995). Essay explaining the rationale for conducting the study of the 21st Avenue commercial area in Paterson, New Jersey. 35 pages.
Paterson reports. July 1996. 5 pages.
"Working in Paterson: A Survey of Occupational Culture in Paterson, New Jersey, with Recommendations for Public Programming" edited by David A. Taylor. Bound, with color photos. 1997. 169 pages.
"Working in Paterson: African American Experiences, a Report on Fieldwork Conducted for the American Folklife Center." January 1995. 39 pages.
"Work and Food: Paterson's Hot Texas Wiener Tradition." No date. (2 copies) 44 pages.
"Working in Paterson: Watson Machine International." No date. (2 copies) 27 pages.
Announcement for "Working in Paterson: Documenting Occupational Heritage in Paterson, New Jersey," lecture given by David A. Taylor. August 28, 1996. 4 copies.
"Working in Paterson: A Survey of Occupational Culture in Paterson, New Jersey, with Recommendations for Public Programming," edited by David A. Taylor. Report submitted to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office of the National Park Service, and the Paterson Urban History Initiative Advisory Committee, by the American Folklife Center. Report draft. 1995. 173 pages.
"Working in Paterson: A Survey of Occupational Culture in Paterson, New Jersey, with Recommendations for Public Programming," edited by David A. Taylor. Report submitted to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Office of the National Park Service and The Paterson Urban History Initiative Advisory Committee, by the American Folklife Center. Report outline. 1994. 8 pages.
Audio tape logs, black-and-white photo logs, color slide logs, fieldnotes. "Working in Paterson Project: A Study of Occupational Heritage in Paterson, New Jersey 1994." 86 pages.
Notes from David Taylor's slide-show lecture on the Working In Paterson Project Collection. No date. 24 pages.
"Narratives of Work: Stories Told by Retired Workers and Their Children." No date. 21 pages.
Booklet from The Paterson Museum Exhibit,
By June Avignone, Photographs by Ellen Denuto. Paterson, New Jersey: Italian Girls Press, 1996.
Edited by June Avignone. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 1999: Includes an essay by Tom Carroll.
Newsletter of the Alexander Hamilton National Memorial. January 2001, March 2001, April 2001, June 2001, and July 2001. 6 newsletters.
Allee, Rod, "A step at last to dignify the Great Falls,"
Austin, Charles, "A Bit of Paterson's Past Glory Debuts at the Library of Congress,"
Boehlert, Eric; Hansen, Suzy; and Stark, Jeff, "Our fight is for Jerusalem, not New York,"
Casey, Michael, "Downtown dilemma,"
Cichowski, John, "Hamilton honored at Great Falls gathering,"
"Lautenberg Library Unveiled at Labor Museum,"
Llorente, Elizabeth, "Painting A New Portrait of New Jersey,"
"Many Faces, One Family: Portraits of Our City," Fall 1996.
"New Online: Working in Paterson,"
Pfaff, Leslie Garisto, "Silk City Saga,"
Vekshin, Alison, "Paterson national park bid on hold,"
Vekshin, Alison,"House Oks Great Falls park study,"
By Joy Sikorski. New York: Crown Publishers, 2000. The author is from Paterson and her work appears in the
CD-ROM inventory sheets. 100 pages.
CD-ROM inventory sheets. 300 pages.
Information on digitizing sound recordings. 13 pages.
Carroll's selection, from his audio logs, of possible online excerpts. 181 pages.
Subject terms for cataloging Working in Paterson photographs (I and II); notes from cataloging meetings; list of events and themes from the Working in Paterson collection. 59 pages.
Copyright permission correspondence for Paterson postcard used in online presentation. 11 pages.
Correspondence announcing the Working in Paterson online presentation project. 11 pages.
Drafts and edited versions of text for Working in Paterson online presentation; correspondence regarding framework; notes from design meeting. 36 pages.
"WIP Audio Tape Inventory" for audio collection; fields include: tape number, fieldworker, informant, recording date, subject matter, recording format, recording length. Selections, from her audio logs, of possible online excerpts. 94 pages.
"WIP Audio Tape Inventory" for audio collection. 51 pages.
3 pages.
Due to the fragility of the irradiated originals, please refer to the photocopies.
Due to the fragility of the irradiated originals, please refer to the photocopies.
Due to the fragility of the irradiated originals, please refer to the photocopies.
Due to the fragility of the irradiated originals, please refer to the photocopies.
Due to the fragility of the irradiated originals, please refer to the photocopies.
Correspondence, proposals, budget. 16 pages.
Outline, status reports, task lists, ephemera, meeting notes, planning template, questions and answers, budget. 38 pages.
Table - "WIP Audio Tape Inventory" for Taylor's audio collection, fields include: tape number, fieldworker, informant, recording date, subject matter, recording format, recording length. Taylor's selections, from his audio logs, of possible online excerpts. 87 pages.
Note: Sound recordings originally housed in boxes are stored in a separate location. Duplicate copies, preservation copies, and reference copies of the original sound recordings are available on audiocassette tapes. Please contact Folklife Reading Room reference staff for descriptive lists of these copies.
LLOYD, Timothy: WIP-TL-A001 through WIP-TL-A002
McCARL, Robert: WIP-RM-A001 through WIP-RM-A011
TAYLOR, David: WIP-DT-A001 through WIP-DT-A028
CARROLL, Tom: WIP-TDC-A001 through WIP-TDC-A027
LEVITAS, Susan: WIP-SL-A001 through WIP-SL-A022
CARROLL, Tom: WIP-TDC-B001 through WIP-TDC-B012
COOPER, Martha: WIP-MC-B001 through WIP-MC-B036
LEVITAS, Susan: WIP-SL-B001 through WIP-SL-B010
LLOYD, Timothy: WIP-TL-B001
McCARL, Robert: WIP-RM-B001 through WIP-RM-B014
TAYLOR, David: WIP-DT-B001 through WIP-DT-B004
CARROLL, Tom: WIP-TDC-B001 through WIP-TDC-B012
LEVITAS, Susan: WIP-SL-B001 through WIP-SL-B010
LLOYD, Timothy: WIP-TL-B001
McCARL, Robert: WIP-RM-B001 through WIP-RM-B014
TAYLOR, David: WIP-DT-B001 through WIP-DT-B004
COOPER, Martha: WIP-MC-B001 through WIP-MC-B036
CARROLL, Tom: WIP-TC-C001 through WIP-TC-C025
COOPER, Martha: WIP-MC-C001 through WIP-MC-C114
LEVITAS, Susan: WIP-SL-C001 through WIP-SL-C015
LLOYD, Timothy: WIP-TL-C001 through WIP-TL-C003
McCARL, Robert: WIP-RM-C001 through WIP-RM-C027
TAYLOR, David: WIP-DT-C001 through WIP-DT-C008
Duplicate Slides [Folders 1 through 3] and Selected color photocopies of photographic prints and black-and-white photographs by COOPER, Martha.
Graphic Materials Database (Access): Fields include: ID number, frame, format, photographer, title, created/published, event, people in photo, location, notes, and repository.
Sound Recordings Database (Access): Fields include: audio number, audio log, informant, date, location, event, subject, format/quantity, and length. 23 pages.
Contents of Working in Paterson Project Collection diskettes:
CARROLL, Tom: fieldnotes, final report, black and white photo logs, color photo logs, audio logs.
COOPER, Martha: color photo logs
LEVITAS, Susan: Fieldnotes, black and white photo logs, color photo logs, audio logs, final report
McCARL, Robert: (Information is unavailable. See hard copies.)
TAYLOR, David: fieldnotes, final report, black and white photo logs, color photo logs, audio logs (Information is not complete. See hard copies.)
Working in Paterson Report
Working in Paterson Group Level Database (Access).
AFCWIP001 through AFCWIP019, AFCWIP033
AFCWIP020 through AFCWIP177
29 diskettes containing researchers' fieldwork, photo logs, slide logs, audio logs, and final report.
Polyester scarf, 32" x 32", with International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union logo. Donated to the Working in Paterson Project by I.L.G.W.U. member and retired garment worker Florence DiStefano of Paterson, N.J. 1994.
Sample from Joseph Teshon, Inc. Color: Apricot.
Sample from Joseph Teshon, Inc. Color: Shell #242.
Sample from Joseph Teshon, Inc. Color: Rust and Yellow.
Sample form Joseph Teshon, Inc. Color: White and Blue.
1 photograph of Great Falls in Peterson, New Jersey. March 14, 1936.
A booklet of poetry by June Avignone. Photographs by Ellen Denuto. 1993. Printed by Paterson Museum.
Published by Hagstrom. No date.