[Paper Roses raw: Walter and Peggy Wolberg]

Chicago, CLIR, Guerrilla Television, NHPRC

In 1975, the Chicago video collective Videopolis produced a documentary called “It’s a Living.” The tape was loosely based on Studs Terkel’s book, “Working,” which was a collection of interviews with ordinary people talking about their jobs. This hour-long program was shown on Channel 11 (WTTW) in Chicago. After the success of this tape, the videomakers were commissioned to make six half-hour shows that had the same type of mission. “Paper Roses” featured residents of the Chicago Housing Authority’s Clark-Irving Apartments, which provided low-rent housing for senior citizens. This tape begins with some footage of Chicago’s Chinatown, then visits the Clark-Irving Homes for an interview with Walter and Peggy Wolberg, who talk about adjusting to retired life.