Community Corner
Warren Preservation Group Seeks Items for New Exhibit
Personal items, photographs, and memorabilia are being sought as part of the Warren Preservation Society's upcoming oral history project.
In a tribute to the so-called "Silent Generation" or "the lucky few," the Warren Preservation Society has issued a call for personal items and memorabilia from the 1920s through 1940s to be included in its upcoming oral history exhibit.
Jill Culora, media contact for the society, wrote in a recent email message that the project is meant to preserve a part of Warren's history while folks from that era are still with us.
"We knew that there is a lot of information about Warren stored in people's minds — their real life experiences. These people are reaching an age that when they are no longer here, their experiences are forever lost," Culora wrote. "We decided to capture these experiences on video before they are forever lost."
The first American generation to be smaller than the one before it, the "lucky few" were born between 1925 and 1942 and included women who attained higher levels of education [and gave birth to the Baby Boomers] and men who served in peacetime military roles [aside from the Korean War] and started the trend toward earlier retirement.
Culora explained that the project got started with a meeting about 18 months ago at Warren Senior Center, where society members began recruiting subjects.
Since then, society members "have been working from interest from that meeting and tips from other people on who to interview."
The exhibit, scheduled to open in November, will feature nine local residents — and the society is hoping that the other items will bring a personal touch to the historical presentation.
“We have a list of specific items we need in order to round out this exhibit, Helen Hawkins, the project coordinator, said in a recent press release. “And we know that it’s likely current residents have some of these items packed away in boxes or trunks in their attics and basements.”
Among the items sought are photos of Town Hall Canteen Dances, the 1947 Bicentennial Pageant, the Horribles Parade, the Hurricane of '38, The Warren Festival, and Jamiel's Park Carnivals, among other events.Pictures of stores and shops that were in operation during the '30s and '40s are also on the society's list.
All items will be returned to their owners following the exhibit, planned to run through Christmas Eve.
To loan items, contact Helen Hawkins on 401-289-2549 or send email to: info@preservewarren.org before Sept. 15. The society is also looking for more people to interview.
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