Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives by Debra E Bernhardt

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives by Debra E Bernhardt

A pictorial history which documents the many and often heartbreaking stories of ordinary workers who built New York City in the 20th century. This book includes accounts of longshoremen, typewriter girls, dock workers, beam walkers and captains of industry amongst others.

"This superb study glimpses the diverse traditions that immigrants brought with them from abroad, and the solidarity, diversity, struggles, and relief they found in their new homes and neighborhoods of New York" * DoubleTake *
"Evocative photos and engaging memoirs transport us into the feisty, militant, playful, and dignified world of working-class New York. The resulting collective portrait is a fitting tribute to the everyday heroes and heroines who built and sustained our city." -- Mike Wallace, author of Greater Gotham: A History of New York City from 1898 to 1919
"The reissue of this remarkable book comes amid renewed labor activism uniting men and women, immigrants and native-born, and people of all backgrounds in the face of extreme inequality and rapid changes in the nature of work. Through photographs and oral histories, Bernstein and Bernhardt vividly bring to life the workers who built New York and have long struggled to make it a more just city. No book could be more timely." -- Eric Foner, DeWitt Clinton Professor Emeritus of History, Columbia University
"This inspiring book shows the people who built New York and keep it running: the sandhogs and stagehands, teachers and taxi drivers, bridge painters and banquet waiters. It is also a book about everyday heroes, whether firefighters or emergency room workers. In photograph after photograph, this book celebrates the dignity of work, while also showing the cruel conditions of yesteryear, the child labor and sweatshops. Threaded throughout is the stirring story of working people coming together, in strikes and street marches, to use their solidarity and collective power to build a better future for themselves and their city. Great not just for New Yorkers, but for anyone who cares about work and workers." -- Steven Greenhouse, longtime New York Times labor reporter and author of Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor

Debra E. Bernhardt (1953 – 2001) built an extensive collection of documents, photographs, and oral histories about working people as head of the Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University. She was lauded by the New York Times for her “energetic career as an archivist helping to remember where everyone else came from.”
Rachel Bernstein researches and teaches NYC working class history. She directs LaborArts, a non-profit using art, images and events to bring a broad audience to this often overlooked history. She taught in the graduate program in public history at NYU for 25 years, and continues to work on public history projects there and at Brooklyn College's Graduate Center for Worker Education.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780814798669
ISBN 10	0814798667
Title	Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives
Author	Debra E Bernhardt
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	New York University Press
Year published	2000-05-01
Number of pages	222
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.