Penn South Archive Project

We believe the story of Penn South is best told through personal histories through the voices of …

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Archive

The Penn South Archive Project is made up of oral histories (cooperators interviewing cooperators) and objects (photos, documents and videos from Penn South Cooperators.

  • Oral histories cooperators interviewing cooperators.

  • Objects Collecting and digitizing cooperator’s photographs, documents, artworks & publications.

  • Collaboration We are committed to making our materials widely available to all in order to be used for research, journalism, art making and activism.

  • Accessibility All of our videos are captioned and transcripts are provided. Images have alt text. Please contact us if other options would be helpful.

About the Archive

The Penn South Archive Project is an initiative of the PSSS Education Committee and the PSSS Board.

In Spring 2022, we trained our first interviewers and began recording oral histories with original cooperators, those who moved into Penn South in 1962 or before. The project quickly expanded to include the collection of photographs, documents and memorabilia.

We are continuing our oral history recordings with cooperators and the collection of archival material, as we also research specific aspects of the Penn South history and community. Areas of specific interest include the neighborhood displaced by Penn South, multi-generational families at Penn South, and the artists and activists who have made Penn South home.

Thank You

The Penn South Archive Project is grateful for the support of Penn South Social Services.

The Project Lily Auchincloss Foundation.

Penn South Archive Project

Co-Coordinators: Tracy Gross, Trudy Rudnick
Artistic Director: Ruth Sergel

Hilda Aaronson • Cara Aloisio • Christiane Bird • Silvie Bird • Alice Bryant • Leah Cooper • Bea Corbett • Peggy Crull • Lisa Ellis • Olive Eng • Sonia Goldstein • Liz Greenberg • John Harris • Vita Kurland • Nancy Kurtz • Loraine Machlin • Walter Naegle • Lynne Oddo • Susan Ortega • Joan Ostroff • Bridget Robinson • Pauline Rothstein • Ellen Semel • Fiona Shuldiner • Gail Siegal • Colette Swietnicki • Abby Tannenbaum • Thelma Thomas • Rena Zager

Get involved!

We are on the look out for:
Original cooperators who moved here in 1962 and might be open to an oral history interview.
Photo albums We are on the look out for photos from the early early days of Penn South.
Volunteers the archive is growing & we need as much help as we can get!
Contact us for more information: archiveproject@psss.org

  • Oral histories cooperators interviewing cooperators.

  • Objects Collecting and digitizing cooperator’s photographs, documents, artworks & publications.

  • Collaboration We are committed to making our materials widely available to all in order to be used for research, journalism, art making and activism.

  • Accessibility All of our videos are captioned and transcripts are provided. Images have alt text. Please contact us if other options would be helpful.

About the Archive

The Penn South Archive Project is an initiative of the PSSS Education Committee and the PSSS Board.

In Spring 2022, we trained our first interviewers and began recording oral histories with original cooperators, those who moved into Penn South in 1962 or before. The project quickly expanded to include the collection of photographs, documents and memorabilia.

We are continuing our oral history recordings with cooperators and the collection of archival material, as we also research specific aspects of the Penn South history and community. Areas of specific interest include the neighborhood displaced by Penn South, multi-generational families at Penn South, and the artists and activists who have made Penn South home.

Thank You

The Penn South Archive Project is grateful for the support of Penn South Social Services.

The Project Lily Auchincloss Foundation.

Penn South Archive Project

Co-Coordinators: Tracy Gross, Trudy Rudnick
Artistic Director: Ruth Sergel

Hilda Aaronson • Cara Aloisio • Christiane Bird • Silvie Bird • Alice Bryant • Leah Cooper • Bea Corbett • Peggy Crull • Lisa Ellis • Olive Eng • Sonia Goldstein • Liz Greenberg • John Harris • Vita Kurland • Nancy Kurtz • Loraine Machlin • Walter Naegle • Lynne Oddo • Susan Ortega • Joan Ostroff • Bridget Robinson • Pauline Rothstein • Ellen Semel • Fiona Shuldiner • Gail Siegal • Colette Swietnicki • Abby Tannenbaum • Thelma Thomas • Rena Zager

Get involved!

We are on the look out for:
Original cooperators who moved here in 1962 and might be open to an oral history interview.
Photo albums We are on the look out for photos from the early early days of Penn South.
Volunteers the archive is growing & we need as much help as we can get!
Contact us for more information: archiveproject@psss.org

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Actor Jeffries Thaiss performs as Dr. Christian Barnard. What a great performance by actor @jeffries_thaiss as he brought to our 8A stage a one-person characterization of the renown heart surgeon Christian Barnard, who performed the first ever human
Actor Jeffries Thaiss performs as Dr. Christian Barnard. What a great performance by actor @jeffries_thaiss as he brought to our 8A stage a one-person characterization of the renown heart surgeon Christian Barnard, who performed the first ever human heart transplant. This performance explores his life as well as the history of surgery and medical ethics. The show was presented by @pennsouthsocialservices and keep an eye out for it in Broadway!!!! #christianbarnard #christianbarnardhospital #heartsurgery #transplant @american_transplant_foundation #pennsouth
Check the link in our bio for this wonderful article by @_erikforman on the history (and potential future) of #cooperativehousing and specifically labor union sponsored affordable housing in NYC. From the first “co-op” started by Finnish
Check the link in our bio for this wonderful article by @_erikforman on the history (and potential future) of #cooperativehousing and specifically labor union sponsored affordable housing in NYC. From the first “co-op” started by Finnish immigrants in Brooklyn to the Amalgamated Houses in the Bronx to @co.op.city co.op.city and our own Penn South, cooperative housing is affordable and sustainable and may be the answer to our ongoing housing crisis. #affordablehousing #labor #cooperatives #unions #pennsouth #amalgamatedhouses #coopcity #limitedequitycoop
Artist and educator Chris Wynter @chriswynterart moved into Penn South in 2000 with his wife Laura and two sons. We interviewed Chris as part of the @pennsoutharchive oral history project(clip 4) and he spoke about starting as a caricature sketch ar
Artist and educator Chris Wynter @chriswynterart moved into Penn South in 2000 with his wife Laura and two sons. We interviewed Chris as part of the @pennsoutharchive oral history project(clip 4) and he spoke about starting as a caricature sketch artist and musician as well as his work making murals for the MTA🎨 Today in Chelsea, his latest exhibition opens at the @skoto_gallery on 20th Street. The exhibit is on view until April 27 and the opening celebration is tonight !! Congratulate Chris, share this post and check out our other interviews with Penn South artists on the @pennsouthsocialservices website
Come see this great movie for FREE on March 25th at 6:30pm at 343 Eight Ave. No registration needed. Just show up ! 🍿🎬📽️🍿🎬📽️🍿🎬📽️🍿🎬Thanks @pennsouthsocialservices for sponsoring such interesting programs!! @thejanesdocumentaryfilm #pennsout
Come see this great movie for FREE on March 25th at 6:30pm at 343 Eight Ave. No registration needed. Just show up ! 🍿🎬📽️🍿🎬📽️🍿🎬📽️🍿🎬Thanks @pennsouthsocialservices for sponsoring such interesting programs!! @thejanesdocumentaryfilm #pennsouth #pennsouthsocialservices #documentary #abortionrights #abortionishealthcare #roevwade #feministcollective #choice #thejanes #free_safe_legal_abortion
Olive introduces her first interview of our “Teen Series” with a chat with @janetsullivancomedy who grew up in Penn South in the 1970-80a. Oral histories are us! at the @pennsoutharchive #oralhistoryproject #pennsouth #nycteens #chelse
Olive introduces her first interview of our “Teen Series” with a chat with @janetsullivancomedy who grew up in Penn South in the 1970-80a. Oral histories are us! at the @pennsoutharchive #oralhistoryproject #pennsouth #nycteens #chelseahistory Great job @oliveeng_
Career night !! Join us next Monday 1/29 at 6:30 in Building 8A …and bring your kids … It will be a fun conversation with a #mailman #labororganizer #midwife and #photographer. #careernight #pennsouth Sponsored by @pennsouthsocialservi
Career night !! Join us next Monday 1/29 at 6:30 in Building 8A …and bring your kids … It will be a fun conversation with a #mailman #labororganizer #midwife and #photographer. #careernight #pennsouth Sponsored by @pennsouthsocialservices
This Undisputed World Champion is @ruthsergel who has been a creative guide behind the scenes of the #pennsoutharchive AND the producer and director of the film The Originals #theoriginals, which many of you lucky ones have seen and soon, everyone wi
This Undisputed World Champion is @ruthsergel who has been a creative guide behind the scenes of the #pennsoutharchive AND the producer and director of the film The Originals #theoriginals, which many of you lucky ones have seen and soon, everyone will enjoy. 🎥🎬🎥🎬👉👉👉👉👉. She is also an artist and activist at streetpictures.org and the recipient of an Institute for Public Architecture @the_iparch grant, which enabled her to live on #governorsisland for 2 months to complete a project in collaboration with @pennsoutharchive @pennsouthsocialservices✊✊. See the link in bio for more info and these photos are just a sampling of the exhibitions on display this weekend (12/16-17) at the #BlockHouse on beautiful @governorsisland ⛴️Take the short and free ferry ride and enjoy the historic buildings and natural beauty of #governorsisland and immerse yourself in the conversation on #architecture for the #publicgood and #cooperativehousing
Penn South depicted in @rustinmovie with @kingofbingo ….Chelsea NYC shot in #pittsburgh @pghfilmoffice 🤨. Great performance, inspirational movie but reality was just as good as members of our archive team talked about their experiences at the
Penn South depicted in @rustinmovie with @kingofbingo ….Chelsea NYC shot in #pittsburgh @pghfilmoffice 🤨. Great performance, inspirational movie but reality was just as good as members of our archive team talked about their experiences at the March on Washington in 1963. #marchonwashington #mlk #bayardrustin #aphilliprandolph
We lost one of our own this year. Peggy Crull was an integral member of the Archive Team as well as a board member @pennsouthsocialservices, but she was also so much else - an activist, organizer, mother, neighbor, and friend. And we learned so much
We lost one of our own this year. Peggy Crull was an integral member of the Archive Team as well as a board member @pennsouthsocialservices, but she was also so much else - an activist, organizer, mother, neighbor, and friend. And we learned so much about her at todays beautiful memorial. Lotsa laughs and lotsa tears. You will be missed Peggy.
We made a wonderful oral history recording with photographer @merylmeisler - Meryl spoke of her career as a #photographer and educator and of her time documenting NYC #clublife in the 1970s. She also talked about the decision she made to move to #pen
We made a wonderful oral history recording with photographer @merylmeisler - Meryl spoke of her career as a #photographer and educator and of her time documenting NYC #clublife in the 1970s. She also talked about the decision she made to move to #pennsouth in the early 2000s. Look for her interview soon on our website and check out Meryls work at @clampartnyc @carter_burden_gallery @stevenkashergallery @photoville and elsewhere.
Actor Jeffries Thaiss performs as Dr. Christian Barnard. What a great performance by actor @jeffries_thaiss as he brought to our 8A stage a one-person characterization of the renown heart surgeon Christian Barnard, who performed the first ever human Check the link in our bio for this wonderful article by @_erikforman on the history (and potential future) of #cooperativehousing and specifically labor union sponsored affordable housing in NYC. From the first “co-op” started by Finnish Artist and educator Chris Wynter @chriswynterart moved into Penn South in 2000 with his wife Laura and two sons. We interviewed Chris as part of the @pennsoutharchive oral history project(clip 4) and he spoke about starting as a caricature sketch ar Come see this great movie for FREE on March 25th at 6:30pm at 343 Eight Ave. No registration needed. Just show up ! 🍿🎬📽️🍿🎬📽️🍿🎬📽️🍿🎬Thanks @pennsouthsocialservices for sponsoring such interesting programs!! @thejanesdocumentaryfilm #pennsout Olive introduces her first interview of our “Teen Series” with a chat with @janetsullivancomedy who grew up in Penn South in the 1970-80a. Oral histories are us! at the @pennsoutharchive #oralhistoryproject #pennsouth #nycteens #chelse Career night !! Join us next Monday 1/29 at 6:30 in Building 8A …and bring your kids … It will be a fun conversation with a #mailman #labororganizer #midwife and #photographer. #careernight #pennsouth Sponsored by @pennsouthsocialservi This Undisputed World Champion is @ruthsergel who has been a creative guide behind the scenes of the #pennsoutharchive AND the producer and director of the film The Originals #theoriginals, which many of you lucky ones have seen and soon, everyone wi Penn South depicted in @rustinmovie with @kingofbingo ….Chelsea NYC shot in #pittsburgh @pghfilmoffice 🤨. Great performance, inspirational movie but reality was just as good as members of our archive team talked about their experiences at the We lost one of our own this year. Peggy Crull was an integral member of the Archive Team as well as a board member @pennsouthsocialservices, but she was also so much else - an activist, organizer, mother, neighbor, and friend. And we learned so much We made a wonderful oral history recording with photographer @merylmeisler - Meryl spoke of her career as a #photographer and educator and of her time documenting NYC #clublife in the 1970s. She also talked about the decision she made to move to #pen

Additional Resources

A lot of people are interested in Penn South. Academic papers, press, ….

Press

Chelsea Living: Penn South and nyc housing 1960-2015

In These Times: How Unions Can Solve the Housing Crisis

Related Archives

Slum Clearance Plan

Link

Academic Papers

First paper

Second paper