[Scrapbook and Vernacular Photograph Album Documenting the Career of Isaac Aaronson of Bell Telephone Company] - 1938

[Bronx, N.Y., 1938. Very good.. Illustrated with approximately forty-five photographs, most around 4 x 5 inches and mounted, but some laid in, plus numerous letters, newspaper clippings, correspondence via Western Union, records of service, a pay record between 1893-1911, and other ephemera, mostly laid in but occasionally mounted or tipped in. Large folio. Contemporary brown cloth, string tied. Some chipping and abrading to cloth. Contents with minor wear but generally sound. An interesting snapshot record of the career of Isaac Aaronson (1875-1962), a longtime employee of the New York Bell Telephone Company. Isaac "Ike" Aaronson was born in January 1875. He entered his telecommunications career in 1893 and worked his way up the ladder at the New York Bell Telephone Company from wireman into several supervisory positions. In 1926 Aaronson was promoted to the Division Installation Superintendent at the company's Bronx office and remained in that position for the rest of his career. The present album is predominately focused on Aaronson's career at the New York Telephone Company and the "Testimonial Dinner" thrown in his honor his retirement in 1938, after forty-five years at the company.

According to the letters and newspaper articles present here, Aaronson was equally passionate and dedicated to both his career and his loving family. In a letter to addressed to "Mrs. Ike" [Ella Aaronson] after Isaac's funeral in November 1962, James Wadsworth writes with his regards: "It was significant to hear the recollection of the tremendous evidence of the reputation Ike had gained during his active working period. I know of no other retirement testimonial dinner attended by anything like the number that turned our to do the honor to Ike back in January 1940 (sic)...." The photographs picture Aaronson himself, his co-workers, with most memorializing Aaronson's retirement dinner. There are several real photo postcards. Also, dozens of letters and notes of praise from co-workers, 1938-1962 are laid in throughout.

Tucked between the pages are carbon copies of a draft of Aaronson's farewell speech to be recited at his retirement testimonial dinner. This reception was held at Ben Riley's Arrowhead Inn, West 246th St and Riverdale Ave. in 1938. A written letter from Mrs. Ella Aaronson, records what she thought of the testimonial dinner: "The tribute to him will be a cherished memory to my family, and myself forever." In preparation for his farewell address, Aaronson drafted his remarks, excerpts of which are as follows: "I worked from 12 to 16 hours a day, six days a week -- and sometimes seven -- without any addition compensation, or even a voucher for supper money, and kept that up for several years. At one period, back in 1894, and that was nearly half a century ago, when we were located in the old 13th Dey St. Building, and our office was located on the fourth floor one of my duties was to take care of the storeroom. All of the material was left on the street and I had to hoist it by hand, by means of rope and pulley. At another period, in the same building, our quarters were located in the basement or sub-basement. I spent four to six hours a day in that sub-basement , and the only light I had was one 36 candlepower lamp. In those days lamps were measured by candlepower instead of watts. The only air I had was that which seeped through the door leading to the basement, and the only air coming into the basement was through a hatchway leading to the sidewalk.... I did the work of three men...if I told you what my salary was -- I think I had better skip that, because you certainly would not believe me. And, mind you, I was working for the same telephone company, except that it was then known as the Metropolitan Telephone and Telegraph Company.... Don't be afraid to work hard. Hard work never hurt anybody. It is worry that wears a person down. Worry is like rust on a blade. A moment ago I said I would refrain from reminisces but I would like to relate one incident. The reason I would like to tell you about it is because I came close to being fired. And that would have been just too bad, because if I had lost my job, we would not have this grand party tonight. This happened in the early 1900's. It was a period when the Borough of Manhattan enjoyed quite a building boom. One of the requirements in the Building Code was that the ceilings of the basements had to be constructed of solid cement. That, of course was very expensive. So the builders got together and had that provision modified, to the extent that they were allowed to use ashes, cinders, and cement. I needn't tell you that is was mostly ashes and cinders, with a thin layer of cement covering the ceiling.... [A new method of installing cable in the basements ceiling], the material required in my method was a nail and a piece of tinware against a lead anchor, a screw and a clamp. A week or ten days later, my boss called me [and] indicated that someone was going to lose their job...." Aaronson did not lose his job. In effect, he kept his job by adapting and inventing a safer and more efficient method of securing cable wire to the ceiling of basement floors made mostly of ash and cinders.

Another item in the scrapbook includes Aaronson's analysis of a telecommunication installation in the Southwest in 1924. Aaroson says: "From the highest paid official to the lowest paid man cooperation is a watchword, with the result that Company policies are carried out faithfully and efficiently. Every man is imbued with the idea of saving money and trying to reduce costs, and to accomplish this they cut corners wherever possible.... There is no need of expending money for a high grade of work." According to his pay record, Aaronson's base pay as a foreman in 1893 was $6per week. He received a raise of $2 on average until he was salaried in 1906. Other items here include letterhead of the Bronx-Westchester Empire Chapter of Telephone Pioneers of America Life Member Club (during Aaronson's time as president), programs for social dances and the Testimonial Dinner, newspaper clippings, and more.

After his retirement, Aaronson was reappointed to the position of Life Member Representative to the Executive Committee of the Telephone Pioneers of America, where he offered consultation to his former employers. It soon became apparent that he wished to allot more time to his family in his retirement. In making that decision, he removed himself from this position. Many regarded this move with great respect while complaining of the difficulty of finding someone to fill his big shoes. There is a letter here from Aaronson himself in 1944 regarding the decline of the aforementioned position.

At first glance simply a snapshot of one telephone company employee's career in the first decades of the 20th century, but highly informative about the industry and American working life after a deeper look.