The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

41 - 50 of 125

Page 5 of 13

  • Collection DOI:
    Principal Investigator:
    Laura Orleans, Kirsten Bendiksen
  • This project documents the history and culture of the commercial fishing industry and other port trades. The project began in 2004 in conjunction with the Working Waterfront Festival, an annual, educational celebration of commercial fishing culture which takes place in New Bedford, MA. Interviewees have included a wide range of individuals connected to the commercial fishing industry and/or other aspects of the port through work or familial ties. While the majority of interviewees are from the port of New Bedford, the project has also documented numerous individuals  from other ports around the country. Folklorist and Festival Director Laura Orleans and Community Scholar and Associate Director Kirsten Bendiksen are project leaders. The original recordings reside at the National Council for the Traditional Arts in Maryland with listening copies housed at the Festival's New Bedford office.

Interviewee Sort descending Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Franciso Ferreira The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Francisco Ferreira is a seasoned fisherman based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Born in Portugal, Ferreira immigrated to the United States with his family in 1981 when he was still a baby. His father and grandfather were both fishermen, and Ferreira followed in their footsteps, starting his fishing career at the young age of thirteen. Over the years, he has worked on various fishing vessels and has gained a deep understanding of the fishing industry.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Fred Mattera The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

On September 23, 2005, Janice Gadiare Fleuriel interviewed Fred Mattera as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Fred discusses his Italian heritage, his grandparents’ immigration to the United States, and growing up in Rhode Island. Originally planning to finish his degree and attend law school, he became fascinated with the competitive nature and financial prospects of fishing, and he decided to forgo law school to pursue a career at sea.

Janice Gadaire Fleuriel New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Galon “Skip” Barlow The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Galon "Skip" Barlow is a retired shellfisherman and seafood restaurant owner from Buzzards Bay Village, Bourne, Massachusetts. Born into a family with a long history dating back to the 1600s in Cape Cod, Skip's lineage includes sea captains and notorious figures. His father, a navy veteran and canal pilot, instilled in him a love for the coastal habitat and shellfishing from a young age. Skip began his career in shellfishing in his early teens, learning the trade from his father. However, after realizing the difficulty of the profession, he returned to school.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Gloria and Samuel Cottle The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Captain Samuel Cottle and Gloria Cottle are a married couple with a long history in the fishing industry. Captain Samuel Cottle is a fisherman who has used the ports of Point Judith, Rhode Island for his fishing activities. Gloria Cottle was born and brought up in Wakefield, Rhode Island, which is just several miles from Point Judith, a large fishing port. The couple resides in Albion, Maine. Captain Samuel Cottle's earliest memory of fishing dates back to when he was five years old. His great grandfather, who had fought in the Civil War, was a significant influence in his life.

Janice Gadaire Fleuriel New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Gunnar and Johan Gundersen The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

On September 23, 2005, Millie Rahn interviewed Gunnar and John Gundersen as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Gunnar and Johan Gundersen, father and son owners of Scandia Propellers and Supplies, share their experiences and insights regarding their business and the fishing industry.Gunnar describes his early years in Norway, his migration to the United States, and the establishment of Scandia Propellers and Supplies.

Millie Rahn New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Hans Davidson The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

On September 30, 2012, Markham Starr interviewed Hans Davidson as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Davidson discusses his early experiences in the industry, his progression from a newcomer to a captain, and the various boats he worked on. He also shares his perspectives on the challenges of the fishing industry, including struggles against regulations, the impact of the job on family life, and the dangers of the work.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Henry Allerdt The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Henry Allerdt was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1943 and moved to the New Bedford area when he was seven or eight years old. He attended Fairhaven High School and spent his summers fishing with his father, who was a fisherman during the Depression. He fished with his father on a small dragger, a sixty-five-foot boat, and also fished independently for extra money while in school. After high school, he continued working in the fishing industry, learning different methods from various people in the fleet.

Mike Petillo New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Herman Bruce The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Herman Bruce, a retired fisherman hailing from New Bedford, Massachusetts, holds a legacy of 55 years within the fishing industry. With ancestral roots tracing back to Newfoundland, Herman's family immigrated to the United States during the 1930s. Herman's father initially cast his nets in New London, CT, before eventually anchoring in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Herman's earliest memories are of the sea, as he began his journey assisting in the maintenance of his father's fishing vessel.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Howard Nickerson The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

On September 23, 2005, Millie Rahn interviewed Howard Nickerson as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Howard recounts his early life, his transition from vocational school to working in the fishery industry, and the challenges faced during the Great Depression. He discusses his work as an engineer on fishing vessels, primarily involved in sea scalloping, and his involvement with the fishermen's union and his role as a union representative.

Millie Rahn New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Jack Saunders The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Jack Saunders is an 80-year-old male who was born in 1927 to a Newfoundland fishing family. He is the owner of Pier Oil in New Bedford. Saunders' father owned a couple of boats, one of which was requisitioned by the government during World War II and lost at sea. Saunders began working on the docks at the age of fourteen, lumping during the summer while attending high school [3]. After graduating, he served in the U.S. Navy and then fished with his father for five years. He later worked for his brother's oil tanker business and eventually started his own business.

Janice Gadaire Fleuriel New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival