Recovery In New Jersey (1937 Original Black & White Film)

Step back to 1937 with *Recovery in New Jersey*, a documentary highlighting the impactful Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects that contributed to the state’s recovery during the Great Depression. Reel 1 opens with the dismantling of the Dana mansion in Palisades Interstate Park, an early sign of WPA's efforts to repurpose resources for public use. The film also showcases construction work in Roosevelt Park, where ditches are dug and pipes are laid for a new water system, alongside the building of a hospital to serve the local community. Reel 2 takes viewers inside WPA sewing centers, where women are stitching garments to support families in need. The film then shifts to the Palisades Park, where workers dynamite rocks to clear the land for development. The dismantling of the Ringling mansion is also shown, highlighting the WPA's role in transforming structures for new purposes. In Greenbrook Park, more water pipes are laid, improving the area's infrastructure, and a concrete culvert is erected in Englewood to support stormwater management. *Recovery in New Jersey* showcases how WPA projects were vital in providing jobs, improving infrastructure, and supporting the state's recovery efforts during a time of economic hardship.

Source: National Archives. (1937). *Recovery in New Jersey*. [Video] Retrieved from the National Archives Catalog, https://catalog.archives.gov/id/12364