My grandfather is the old Greek man with heavy accent at the 5 minute mark. George Georges, PBS interviewed him for Union week. He worked as a child in the Eastman Gelatin factory area, earning 0.5 cent per 20 skins. Grew up to become vice President of the Leather Tannery Union with a 6th grade education. He fought for electric fans to be used while working in the summer. He once helped a fellow worker meet other workers to get their votes. Then my grandfather took him to eat and have a beer. The bartender wouldn’t serve his friend because he was black. (Approx. 1933) My grandfather pushed the beers back and said “if you don’t serve my friend, you don’t serve me!” My grandmother had panoramic pictures of union hall, hundreds of people in the 3’ long pic.

My family owned Boyle Machine and Supply Company where I worked during school vacations. Boyle furnished mill supplies and equipment to all of the tanneries and one of my jobs was delivering supplies in Boyle’s truck. In this documentary I saw a Boyle embossing machine guard, a Boyle rotary spray machine, and a self-cleaning nylon conveyor that transported newly sprayed hides through a dryer. My dad actually invented the conveyer and secured a patent on his invention. As a kid. I made blocking sleeves used on the staking machines. I also built the horses on which the hides were stacked to then be rolled on to the next department for further processing. I’ll bet that for one reason or another, I’ve been in every leather factory in the city. One summer, I even worked as a lumper at Morrill Leather, a sheepskin factory just off Main Street. I met so many decent, hard working men during my exposure to the leather industry. When I finished my education and military service, the electronics industry was emerging as the leather industry in the area was declining. My career thus was in electronics.

My stepdads godfather spent his life working in leather factories. My biological father fought many of the fires as a firefighter for the city of Salem, Salem also had a number of leather shops. When Peabody had the leather shop fires, they’d call for mutual aid and Salem being a neighboring community they would respond. I have a large model railroad o scale, my stepdad had built one for me and we modeled half Peabody half Salem. I had a model leather shop and a siding of boxcars pretending to deliver the Hyde’s. My stepdad said I remember those Boston and Maine boxcars it looks like the real thing. In the summer I’d drive by those factories and they’d open the boxcars doors and the stench would kill a field of daisy’s. As a young person I appreciate what my ancestors did to make a living with their hard work they made sure we as their children didn’t have to work in those jobs. However I believe with the elimination of those factories it hurt America and made us more dependent on foreign countries for products

My father worked in the leather factories as did my grandfather.

Joe cavalon who owned JEC leather was my neighbor

I worked at REX leather with the Regis boys, early to mid seventies, alot of my friends from high school also. to many great memories to mention

That cute young man at the beginning is me.

I Worked at Salem suede leather

The sounds and smells of the leather shops has remained with me always. Joe, the faces, the locations, the noises, and the names was a walk back in time for me. A good story and very well told, thanks old friend for bringing me, if only briefly, home.

What a penomenal job on both Part 1 and Part 2. WOW. Talk about bringing back the past of walking or riding our bicycles up and down Foster Street and onto Main Street. Thank you to the crew that assembled these phemomenal memories. Great job.

Wow, what memories! I remember walking from school as a preteen child (you could be safe anywhere then) through Peabody Square up Foster Street to my godmothers house across from the Bleachery. In the Square there were always trucks carrying blue skins dripping chrome and other things on to the streets. The smell was always strong but that’s just the way it was. I remember the whistles, you always knew it was noon time.

My great grandfather worked in the Peabody leather factory his entire life. Basically straight off the boat. He worked into his early seventies. Great upload, I can't wait to show my children. Thank you!

I live there

My grandfather worked in a leather factory

I lived there for 16 years, it's a great city. I miss it very much.

Bonnie's on Mason street salem, Massachusetts Bonfanti

What year was this documentary filmed? Nice upload!

Lit our Xmass tree last night in the field...didn't take long with a single match.