WHYY-TV PERSONALITY TO HOST PROGRAM
AT COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Ed Cunningham to Reprise His 'Workshop of the World' Documentary CAMDEN, NJ -- In a special presentation at the Camden County Historical Society, WHYY-TV host Ed Cunningham will screen 'Workshop of the World' on Sunday, April 7, from 2-4 pm. The event also includes a special appearance by Philip Scranton, board of governors professor of industry and technology at Rutgers-Camden. Originally produced by Cunningham, the one-hour special documentary provides a panoramic history of industry throughout the Philadelphia-Camden region. "For 150 years we were one of the major industrial sites of the world with thousands of factories, employing one-quarter of a million people," said Cunningham, who grew up when Philadelphia and Camden still called themselves the Workshop of the World. "Now, much of it is gone and I have always wondered why." According to Cunningham, the program is a gentle reminder of what the Philadelphia and Camden area once was, as well as what it could again become. Following the April 7 screening, he and Professor Scranton will be available for a discussion period. In its heyday, the region was carpeted with factories producing a cornucopia of foods, clothing, building materials and transportation systems. It was home to Baldwin Locomotives and Cramp's Shipyard; New York Shipbuilding; Campbell Soup Company and RCA; Ortlieb's Brewery and Stetson Hats to name just a few. 'Workshop of the World' examines the industries that supported and shaped the region in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Generations of the same families worked in those industries and contributed to the culture of community that grew up around the factories. Interviews with many of those family members will spark reminiscences for older Philadelphians and South Jersey residents, as well as provide an eye-opening experience for younger generations largely unaware of the Delaware Valley Region's former industrial glory. This special showing of 'Workshop of the World' is free to CCHS members; general admission is $5. The program will take place in the Boyer Auditorium at Society headquarters at Park Blvd. and Euclid Ave., just behind Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. For information, please call (856) 964-3333 or visit CCHS's Web site at www.cchsnj.com to learn about the Society and find detailed maps of its location. John R. Seitter Executive Director Camden County Historical Society 856-964-3333 |