Local 1329 photography exhibit

“Masters of the Craft: Gallery of Memory” is an ongoing photography exhibit at Providence’s City Hall that commemorates the founding of New England’s first labor union organized primarily by Cape Verdeans. When Cape Verdean immigrants began settling in Providence decades ago, they often encountered discrimination and found themselves relegated to low-paying, dangerous jobs. The founding of Providence’s Local 1329 of the International Longshoremen’s Association allowed for safer working conditions, better pay and benefits. In honor of the 80th anniversary of the union’s founding, the city hall exhibit features formal portraits of the union’s members and their families in photos by Liane Brandon.