The Last Generation
Work and Life in the Textile Mills of Lowell, Massachusetts, 1910-1960
University of Massachusetts Press
Oral histories of many of the last generation of Lowell, MA, textile mill workers preceded by two introductory sections. The first presents the historic setting of economic development and subsequent decline of the textile industry in Lowell. The second is a brief explanation of the production process wherin the last generation of mill workers expended so many of their skills and so much of their energy.
A compelling story of hard lives led in 'dark Satanic mills' with very low-paying 60-hour work shifts; unhealthy conditions; and harsh, unfeeling supervisors. Transcending their difficult existence, however, these mostly Irish and French-Canadian immigrants and their descendants who followed them into the mills shaped strong family structures and created vital ethnic communities. Blewtt's Historical setting and the explanation of technical processes enrich the narratives. Highly recommended.'—Library Journal
'Blewett does an excellent job of preserving the final chapter of the story of the mills by compiling an oral history of 30 former worker. She also provides a wealth of introductory and interpretive text, as well as an extensive glossary of textile-related terms. The workers discuss in detail the specifics of their jobs and their difficult and often brutal working conditions. They also give a picture of life in new England throughout much of this century.'—New York Times Book Review
'One of the best books of oral history to date and the most revealing volume on textile workers. . . . Blewett has renewed the life, the whispers, and even the laughter that were once vibrant in Lowell's now-empty mills. . . . Unquestionably, [the book] demonstrates that oral history has much to offer us as feminists and makers of our own collective history.'—Women's Review of Books
'The past ten years or so have seen the publication of a number of remarkable labor histories based on skillful employment of oral historiographical techniques. The Last Generation is a splendid example of this genre . . . [and] deserves a wide audience among those interested in the manner in which human dignity and integrity can be sustained and even flourish amid the most adverse of conditions.'—Wilson Library Bulletin
'A penetrating exposition not only of the cultural and economic realities that determined the lives of this generation, but also of eh way in which these individuals viewed their lives from the vantage point of the post-textile era. The narrative is well constructed . . . [and]succeeds admirably in conveying the experiences of this entrapped generation. . . . A powerful social and cultural history of the highest caliber.'—Choice
'A significant addition to the relatively sparse literature on the last years of the New England textile industry. Not only do the narratives powerfully enhance conventional study of the industry but they also establish persuasively the considerable merits of oral history.'—Journal of American History
Mary H. Blewett is Professor Emerita of history at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her book Men, Women, and Work: Class, Gender, and Protest in the New England Shoe Industry, 1780-1910, won the New England Historical Association Prize, the Herbert G. Gutman Award, and the Joan Kelly Prize of the American Historical Association.
