Watch our conversation with Edvige Giunta, Annie Rachele Lanzillotto, Laura Ruberto, and Mary Anne Trasciatti about the Triangle Waist Company fire.
As part of the exhibition Woven Lives: Exploring Women’s Needlework from the Italian Diaspora the IAMLA hosted the presentation of the book Talking to the Girls Intimate and Political Essays on
the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire Edited by Edvige Giunta and Mary Anne Trasciatti.
On March 25, 1911, a fire broke out on the eighth floor of the Asch Building in Greenwich Village, New York. The top three floors housed the Triangle Waist Company, a factory where approximately 500 workers, mostly young Italian and Jewish immigrant women and girls, worked. The fire killed 146 workers in a mere 15 minutes but pierced the perpetual conscience of citizens everywhere. The tragedy of the fire, and the resulting movements for change, were pivotal in shaping workers' rights and unions. A powerful collection of diverse voices, Talking to the Girls: Intimate and Political Essays on the Triangle Fire brings together stories from writers, artists, activists, scholars, and family members of the Triangle workers. One hundred and eleven years after the tragic incident, Talking to the Girls articulates a story of contemporary global relevance and stands as an act of collective testimony: a written memorial to the Triangle victims.
Exhibition and Programming made possible with the generous support of
California Humanities
California Arts Council
Istituto Italiano di Cultura Los Angeles
Getty Foundation
Christian Gerola Trust
CD 14 Kevin de León
D'Aiello Sandoval Family
El Pueblo de Los Angeles
Special thanks to
Senator Maria Elena Durazo and Senator Anthony Portantino