We are working to collect interviews and images of the 220 plus years of paper making in this region.
We work on some aspect of this interpretation every year.
•To start, we had 32 interviews and some wonderful footage and stills, which we brought over from Paper Town Projects. Those interviews were conducted by Judith Monachina and Erica Spizz, and featured Schweitzer Mauduit employees, whom we interviewed when their Lee, Massachusetts, mills were closing.
•In 2024/2025/2026, we are making a mini documentary, working with Ben Willis. This short documentary will feature the story of two employees who bought the South Lee Mead Westvaco Willow Mill, in 2009. Inside that short film, we will touch on important parts of Lee’s special place in the history of paper making.
•Right now, in 2025, we are working with Crane Museum of Papermaking, on their oral history project. We asked Wendy Germain to train a docent, former Crane employee Dennis Croughswell, how to do the audio. Then, we did 4 oral history interviews. We will do one more, to wrap up a pilot. There are so many more we could do. The next step is to get them safely archived with the Digital Commonwealth/Boston Public Library.
A video we made for a paper exhibit, at the Lichtenstein Arts Center, in 2010!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPNcSYByoPg