Albany Institute of History & Art Library MG 135 City Neighbors Project (1975-2001) 9 lin. ft., 19 boxes Series I. Oral History Tapes (1975-2001) Series II. Oral History Documentation (1975-2001) Series III. Research Materials Series IV. Photos June 2002 2 Table of Contents Page Scope and Content Note 3 Project History 4 Series I 5 Series II 12 Series III 16 Series IV 33 3 Scope and Content Note The City Neighbors Project Collection includes materials collected between [1989 and 2001] and primarily contains documents relating to immigrants’ personal family lives, and community life in Albany. Items in this collection are primary research materials. A large body of materials documenting the administrative and organizational functions of the City Neighbors Project remains unprocessed as of July 2002. The research collection is divided into 4 series: Oral History Tapes; Oral History Documentation; Research Materials; and Photos. The materials in the collection come from a wide variety of sources. The Oral History tapes are original research conducted by the Albany Institute of History and Art (AIHA) staff, and are the property of the Albany Institute of History and Art. Oral History documentation includes both the records of the interviews and, in some cases, extensive research and background material on the interview subjects, their family history, and their community. Series I. Oral History Tapes. Most of the Oral History Tapes include interviews from individuals and families regarding their history in the Albany area. Subjects are members of various ethnic groups in Albany, including Italian, Irish, African American, and Jewish subject. Most of the subjects are Italian, followed by Jewish, Irish, and African American interviewees. Also included in the Series I are tapes that are recordings of programs associated with the City Neighbors Project. In the folder list they are listed after the oral history interview tapes. Finally, Series I includes videotapes related to the City Neighbors Project, including several versions of a video, produced by AIHA, about the Irish in Albany. Series II. Oral History Documentation . Series II includes oral history releases, pre-interview materials, and the accession records for any objects or photographs that accompanied the interviews as well as any related research materials, including genealogical information, essays, immigration documentation, and relevant articles. Series II also includes handwritten notes about the interviews, contact information for interviewees, and correspondence between Wes Balla and the interview subjects. Series III. Research Materials . Series III, which comprises the bulk of the City Neighbors Project Collection, includes research materials collected throughout the history of the City Neighbors Project. Items in this series are comprised primarily of folders on individuals and organizations of ethnic groups in Albany dating back to the 17 th century, although most of the material pertains to individuals and organizations from the 19 th and 20 th centuries. The research materials in Series III cover their subjects with varying comprehensiveness. Some folders contain exhaustive documentation on their subjects; documentation that includes photographs, newspaper clippings, letters, and essays, while other folders contain only small references to an individual or organization. Like Series I and II, items in Series III are arranged by ethnic group, in alphabetical order. Each ethnic group is listed as a subseries, and further divided into people and organizations within each subseries. Series IV. Photos . Series IV is comprised of 8x10 glossy photographs related to the City Neighbors Project research collection. The photos are taken from various sources. Participants in the City Neighbors Project have donated many to the collection, 4 while some have been reproduced from public-domain books. The photos are arranged roughly in the same order as the folders and tapes (i.e. by ethnic groups and alphabetically), in nine binders. Binder 8 contains photos of churches and religious institutions, and is an exception to the general arrangement scheme. The inventory of photos is at the end of this finding aid. Folder and tape descriptions contain cross- references to the related binders when applicable. Many photo entries include a number with a decimal point (e.g. 15.1, 4.11, 20.13, etc.) that refers to the accession number of the negatives, which are not accessible to researchers. Reproductions of photos may be available, depending on institutional policies, copyright restrictions, and the discretion of AIHA. The City Neighbors Project Collection was processed by Andrew Ashton in June, 2002. Project History The City Neighbors Project (CNP) seeks to collect, for exhibition and research, materials documenting the diverse cultural and ethnic history of Albany and the surrounding area. The City Neighbors Project brings curators, librarians, historians and folklorists together with members of the community to tell the story of Albany’s diverse past. Components of the project include collecting oral histories; conducting scholarly research; adding objects, photographs and research materials to the museum and library collections; and reaching new audiences through exhibitions, education programs and special events. Traveling versions of City Neighbors: An Albany Community Album , documenting the Black American, Jewish, Irish and Italian experiences in Albany, circulate throughout the community in public spaces including schools, libraries, community centers, synagogues, corporate lobbies and government buildings. In addition, special exhibitions, which explore related topics, provide continuity and enrichment for the project. AIHA offers multi-generational education programs, ranging from lectures and discussion groups to films and walking tours, on subjects related to this project and topics of related interest. The concept for the City Neighbors Project began with an earlier project called Albany Families, which sought to portray the growth and change of the Albany area through the histories of a number of ethnic families, chosen because their ancestors were part of their respective group’s major wave of immigration. Albany Families, which began in 1985, was run by the Institute’s Education Department. Gretchen Sorin and folklorist Bruce Buckley, as well as Beth Klopott started the City Neighbors Project in 1989. Wes Balla, who was appointed Curator of History in 1991, developed and expanded the City Neighbors Project to include most of the materials described in this finding aid. In its current incarnation, City Neighbors seeks to broaden the scope of the previous research to consider the interaction between various ethnic groups in Albany. As of June 2002, the City Neighbors Project is ongoing. 5 Series I. Oral History Tapes [Subseries are arranged by ethnic groups and type as follows: Italians, Irish, African Americans, Jewish, other tapes, videotapes. Note: The following tapes are on loan to Department of History, c/o Brian Buff, University at Albany (as of May 30, 2002). They are in bold italics in the list below. Taranto, Nicholas. Undated - 90 minute analog tape Muhlfelder, Lewis & Addie deBeer. Sept. 1, 1990 - 90- minute analog tape Brachman, Bluma. August 8, 1989 - 90-minute analog tape Koblenz, Nathan. December 3, 1990 - 90-minute analog tape (Gold) Mizell, Anna. December 3, 1990 - 90-minute analog tape Malmed, Daniel D. December 4, 1990 - 90-minute analog tape McKeever, James. December 13, 1990 - 90-minute analog tape Powell, Ten Eyck Bronk. April 19, 1990 - 90-minute analog tape Sonneborn, Elizabeth. September 24, 1992 - 90-minute analog tape Bonacker Gretten, Dorothy. April 9, 1993 - 90-minute analog tape Italian Box 1 Tape 1. Cesare Family Music – Selections, 1975. (James & Jack Cesare and Sam Bruno playing traditional music). 1975. 90-minute analog tape. SEE: Box 7, Folder 1 SEE ALSO: Series IV – Photos: Binder 1 2. Farrinaci, Valentine. June 15, 1992 - 90-minute analog tape. 3. Farrinaci, Valentine. (Duplicate) June 15, 1992 - 90-minute analog tape. SEE: Box 7, Folders 2-3 SEE ALSO: Series IV – Photos: Binder 1 4. Forte, Vincent. June 21, 1993 - 90-minute analog tape Forte, Vincent. (Duplicate) June 21, 1993 - 90-minute analog tape. SEE: Box 7, Folder 4 SEE ALSO: Series IV – Photos: Binder 1 6 Box 1 (continued) Tape 5. Leone, Joseph F. (Tape 1 of 2) July 21, 1992 – 90-minute analog tapes 6. Leone, Joseph F. (Tape 2 of 2) July 21, 1992 – 90-minute analog tapes 7. Leone, Joseph F. (Duplicate) (Tape 1 of 2) July 21, 1992 – 90-minute analog tapes 8. Leone, Joseph F. (Duplicate) (Tape 2 of 2) July 21, 1992 – 90-minute analog tapes SEE: Box 7, Folder 5 9. Liozzi, Margaret; Robortella, Dominic. (Tape 2 of 3) December 25, 1981. 90- minute analog tape 10. Loudis, Albert A. (Tape 1 of 2) May 27, 1998 - 90-minute analog tape 11. Loudis, Albert A. (Tape 2 of 2) May 27, 1998 - 90-minute analog tape 12. Loudis, Albert A. (Duplicates). (Tape 1 of 2) May 27, 1998 – 90-minute analog tape 13. Loudis, Albert A. (Duplicates). (Tape 2 of 2) May 27, 1998 – 90-minute analog tape SEE: Box 7, Folder 6 SEE ALSO: Series IV – Photos: Binder 1 14. Loudis Hoetzel, Louise. February 8, 1993 - 90-minute analog tape 15. Loudis Hoetzel, Louise. (Duplicate) February 8, 1993 - 90-minute analog tape 16. Hoetzel, Louise Loudis. January 10, 1997 - 90-minute analog tape SEE: Box 7, Folder 7 SEE ALSO: Series IV – Photos: Binder 1 Box 2 - Italians (continued) Tape: 1. Matera, Joseph & Angeline. April 30, 1993 - 90-minute analog tape 2. Matera, Joseph & Angeline. (Duplicate) April 30, 1993 - 90-minute analog tape SEE: Box 7, Folder 8 3. Montesano, George. July 16, 1992 - 90-minute analog tape 4. Montesano, George. (Duplicate) July 16, 1992 - 90-minute analog tape SEE: Box 7, Folder 9 5. Panetta, Joseph D. July 7, 1995 - 90-minute analog tape 6. Panetta, Joseph D. (Duplicate) July 7, 1995 - 90-minute analog tape SEE: Box 7, Folder 10 SEE ALSO: Series IV – Photos: Binder 1 7 Box 2 (continued) Tape 7. Robortella, Dominic; Nemara, Margaret; Lombardi, Joseph.