Antonio (Tony) Macedo was born on September 7, 1970, in San Miguel, one of the islands of Azores, Portugal. He immigrated to New Bedford, United States, in 1978 at the age of seven. After living in New Bedford for four years, he moved to Acushnet. Macedo is a marine carpenter by profession and has a rich ethnic background of Portuguese. He learned the shipbuilding trade on the job and eventually bought his own business. He has spent his career building and repairing wooden ships by hand, a craft he learned during his teen years. In 1999, Macedo bought the business with his partner Duarte Da Silva. Over the years, he has seen the waterfront economy change and has adapted his business to focus on interior repairs and historical restorations. Despite the decline in wooden ships and the rise of steel vessels, Macedo continues to practice his craft, lamenting the lack of interest among younger generations in woodworking.

Scope and Content Note
This oral history interview with Antonio Macedo, conducted by Fred Calabretta on March 13, 2017, provides a detailed account of Macedo's life and career as a marine carpenter. The interview was part of the Workers on the Waterfront Oral History Project conducted by the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, funded by an Archie Green Fellowship from the Library of Congress. In the interview, Macedo discusses his early life in Portugal, his immigration to the United States, and his career in shipbuilding. He describes his experiences learning the trade, buying his own business, and adapting to changes in the waterfront economy. Macedo also talks about the challenges of working in winter conditions, the differing attitudes of captains and owners towards vessels, and the shift from wooden to steel boats. He shares his concerns about the decline of traditional shipbuilding and woodworking skills, and his hopes for more young people to take an interest in these crafts. The interview provides valuable insights into the life and work of a marine carpenter, the changing nature of the shipbuilding industry, and the impact of these changes on traditional crafts and skills. The recording and transcript of this interview are part of a permanent collection at the Library of Congress.