It's the 1920s-the First World War is over, and the people of New Bedford, Massachusetts, like the rest of the country, enjoy high spirits and great prosperity. Familiar faces, young and old, look to a promising future in this great industrial city with a glorified maritime past. But trouble looms, and the next decades will require strength and determination. A troubled textile industry, the Great Depression, a challenged school system, hurricanes, wartime and a post-war economic decline-how will the city survive the tides of change? Resilient residents will take strength and encouragement from friends and community, finding laughter and escape through music, theater, radio, sports and other forms of entertainment. Everyday heroes will emerge. The city will reinvent itself and forge on. Fast forward to the 1960s. Following another post-war boom, new industries come to town, the hurricane barrier goes up and the fishing fleet brings promise and growth. But urban renewal tears at the heart of downtown and wipes out many old neighborhoods. The Vietnam War and the city's race riots bring turmoil and upheaval. Still, a new generation again brings hope and change. In A Picture History of New Bedford, Volume Two: 1925-1980, the second installment of a three-volume set, hundreds of photographs and stories bring the city to life in an enthralling journey through the core of the 20th century. Ride the last trolley, sip an ice cream float at a bygone soda fountain, take a turn on the ballroom dance floor. Celebrate New Bedford's music-from the big band sounds to folk, fado, jazz and rock and roll. Explore the evolution of the city's diverse mix of cultures and see New Bedford's fishing industry grow from a small fledgling fleet of draggers to what today is the country's number one fishing port. Experience the people, places, and events that have shaped New Bedford, one of New England's most historically significant cities.

Angry that his father is afraid to kindle the Hanukkah lights, Emanuel stows away on a whaling ship. When a storm overtakes the boat, it is his father’s change of heart and the family menorah that light the way home.

In 1765, when Joseph Rotch sailed across the bay from Nantucket, he brought with him the skills and knowledge to start New Bedford's whaling industry. By 1830 the town was a larger whaling port than Nantucket, with an immense fleet employing more than 10,000 people.

Situated on American Revolutionary crossroads, the town of Bedford has always enjoyed a unique history. Blending serene beauty and rolling hills with a proximity to New York City, the town became home to men and women who treasured its distinctive qualities. The land was first shared by Americian Indians and settlers and then by patriots and loyalists. Pre- and post-Revolutionary days were dominated by agricultural pursuits, coupled with a role as the northern Westchester County seat. With the coming of the railroad in the late 1840s, new hamlets emerged, farmers moved farther north for cheaper land, and New York City families began purchasing large parcels for their summer residences. Environmentally sensitive zoning policies, guided by its people's love of country life, allowed the town to maintain a balance between home and business areas, keeping it a green oasis. The character of Bedford's town and its people was well described by founding father and prominent resident John Jay in 1812: "Perhaps no place can exhibit a larger proportion of orderly, industrious and well disposed citizens."