By Nick Diamantides
Staff Writer
Have you ever wondered what it must have been like to work in a silver mine or a factory during the 1800s? Although you can’t actually have that experience, you can look at photographs of Americans at work dating back to 1857. The Historical Society of Long Beach, in partnership with the Arts Council for Long Beach, is now presenting a Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition entitled “The Way We Worked: Photographs From the National Archives.”
Last Friday, the historical society conducted a VIP reception to introduce the exhibition to elected and appointed officials, community leaders and those who contributed time and/or money to enable the society to display the photographs. Nearly 200 people attended the event.
“This is an idea we have been working towards for quite some time,” said Julie Bartolotto, executive director of the society. She explained that her staff had spent about 150 hours of planning before the photographs could be hung on the walls and much work had to be done to the building to meet Smithsonian Institute requirements, including the installation of humidity-control devices and a beefed-up fire protection system.
Joan Van Hooten, executive director of the arts council, spoke next, noting that the event coincided with the beginning of Smithsonian Week in Long Beach–an event sponsored by the arts council for the last 10 years. Van Hooten added that the Arts Council had two reasons for partnering with the historical society to bring the Smithsonian exhibit to Long Beach.
“Our purpose and goal always is to elevate the capacity and standing of our arts and cultural organizations in Long Beach,” she said. “Secondly, this exhibit is not just the documentation of history, but works of art, and it is certainly appropriate that we participate in this.”
Van Hooten also urged those in attendance to pause in front of each photograph in order to absorb its meaning. “Every single one of them tells a story, and if you look carefully, it will speak to you,” she said.
Evan Braude, president of the historical society’s board of directors, thanked the many volunteers whose long hours of work made it possible for the exhibit to be displayed in Long Beach. He gave special praise to city manager Patrick West and 8th District City Councilwoman Rae Gabelich, both of whom were instrumental in the city’s acquisition of the building in Bixby Knolls that the historical society now occupies.
Braude noted that many people enjoyed the first exhibit in that building which featured photographs depicting the history of North Long Beach. “But now we are seeing a little bit about the rest of the country and how people worked all over,” he added.
Justin Hectus, president of the arts council’s board of directors, took Braude’s comment a step further. “This exhibit reminds us of a time when segregation, gender discrimination and deplorable working conditions for children were commonplace,” he said. “It also reminds us of the strength and courage that it took to make the workplace safe and fair and to make this country great.”
Gabelich also addressed the audience, noting that the decision to move the historical society from its previous downtown location to Bixby Knolls was almost serendipitous.
She explained that months ago she was walking past all the stores on Atlantic Avenue wondering what could be done to energize that part of the city. “Then I saw the ‘for sale’ sign out front, and I had heard that the historical society was stuck on Pine Avenue and looking for a new home,” she said. “I thought this building was perfect.”
Gabelich, however, said most of the work to relocate the historical society was done by Bartolotto. Gabelich also praised West, Braude, Van Hooten, the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency, and the North Project Area Committee for their efforts, which made the move possible.
Gabelich noted that the new location and the Smithsonian exhibition would bring more visitors to Bixby Knolls, which would benefit all the businesses in the area.
The photographs in the exhibition are categorized by narratives discussing five themes: Where We Worked; How We Worked; What We Wore To Work; Conflict at Work; and Dangerous Work.
“Imagine working in a coal mine or a steel mill or at a telephone switchboard,” the opening narrative begins. “Work and work places have gone through enormous transformation between the mid-19th and late 20th centuries. This exhibition offers a lens for viewing these changes through photographs held by the National Archives and Records Administration. It also provides an opportunity to hear workers talk about their experiences on the job.”
The photos reveal scenes of farming, logging, boat building, factories, mines, hospitals, offices, restaurants, armed forces, police forces, fire departments and more.
One photo shows silver miners at work in 1857. Another depicts two black women and a black man picking cotton, while a white man dressed in a business suit watches over them. Other photos reveal Native American men cutting large blocks of ice from a frozen lake; a New York City demonstration held to protest the death of 146 young immigrants in a 10-story sweat shop fire; a clash between police and striking workers in San Francisco; a firefighter rescuing a young child from a burning building; and many other people, places and events.
“National archives photographs document work clothing, locales, working conditions, and workplace conflict,” states another narrative. “They also document a workforce whose distinctiveness was shaped by many factors: immigration and ethnicity; slavery and racial segregation; wage labor and technology; gender roles and class–as well as the American ideals of freedom and equality. Most importantly, these images honor those who built this country–the working men and women of America.”
The Way We Worked exhibition will be on display in the Long Beach Historical Society building at 4260 Atlantic Avenue through May 17. Admission is free.
For hours of operation or more information, phone (562) 424-2220.
