MUSEUM DOCUMENTS THOSE WHO STAYED HOME IN WARTIME
By Lois Blomstrann, Arttown
New Britain Herald, CT
Oct 29 2007
Ken Burns’ documentary, "The War," has impressed upon us how important
it is to record the memories of our veterans. As the narrator in the
play, "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder, asked the question, "How shall
we survive when the anchors of our memories are gone?" I realized
it is necessary to not just record the memories of those who went to
war, but those who were at the home front working for victory in New
Britain’s great factories.
At the New Britain Industrial Museum we have been attempting to
procure memories from some of those people who helped to win the war
by supplying materials to the armed forces and to those who helped
keep up the morale on the home front. Some of the stories have been
very serious while some bring a smile to the reader’s face.
For instance, we were told about Charles F. Smith, who managed Landers,
Frary & Clark with an iron hand. Besides making items for the home,
Landers made everything from canteens to large gun mounts for the
military. When Smith arrived at the plant, the news went through the
building like wild fire and everyone immediately started working a
little harder at their job.
One day he wanted to fire a particular person but he didn’t want to
have to tell the man to his face, so he instructed the guard that
when this person appeared at the gate, he was not to let him in. It
turned out that the man was Sherrod Skinner, who later became head
of Oldsmobile in Michigan.
Landers introduced the first electric percolator and over the years,
with the Universal logo, they made 54 different models. In 1941,
they developed the world’s first completely automatic coffeemaker
timed by thermostatic control. It could be adjusted to brew the
coffee to individually desired strength and kept the coffee hot after
the brewing cycle was completed. The Coffeematic was revolutionary
and 5,000 of them were produced in 1941. By 1956, the 15 millionth
percolator was unveiled and was called the world’s most expensive
coffeemaker. It was designed by Harry Winston, the famous New York
jeweler, it had a diamond inserted in the lid and had a diamond and
ruby-studded pattern on the sides. The Universal Coffeematic was
insured for $50,000. Today no one seems to know where it is but it
had quite a history of being stolen, lost and found again.
Women worked in the factories from the early years and also worked in
the home doing piece work or crafts, but it wasn’t until World War
II that more women found employment, other than office work, in the
factory working on grinders, milling machines and large lathes. In
learning about Elizabeth Mazadoorian, who died last spring, we were
amazed at what she had done to contribute to both the war effort
during World War II and New Britain’s economy later on.
In checking with her son, Attorney Harry Mazadoorian, we found that
she had worked at Union Manufacturing Company, Fafnir Bearing Company,
Landers, Frary & Clark, General Electric and Topps Coat Factory. What
is even more amazing is Elizabeth’s history. She, at 94, was a resident
of New Britain for more than 75 years having been born in the village
of Yegheki in the province of Kharpert. While she was an infant, her
father came to the United States to earn money for the family. During
that time the genocide in Turkey began, when she was 3 years old.
Mazadoorian’s story could have been included in "Survivors, An
Oral History of the Armenian Genocide" by Donald Earl Miller. She
personally witnessed the most barbaric treatment of fellow Armenians,
including the death of her mother and two uncles in death marches.
The fact that she survived and managed to reunite with her father in
the United States is a story you may read about in the next issue of
the New Britain Industrial Museum Quarterly, which will be out soon.
Stop by the museum and let us hear your story or that of your parents
or grandparents so we may keep the wonderful memories of New Britain
alive for future generations.
The New Britain Industrial Museum, a branch of the New Britain
Institute, is located at 185 Main St. in the ITBD building. It is
open Monday through Friday from 2 to 5 p.m. and on Wednesdays from
12 to 5 p.m. Admission is free and the building is handicap accessible.
Group visits are available by calling (860) 832-8654.
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