In 1921, Antonio Cannelli documented New Haven's Italian American community in La Colonia Italiana di New Haven: 300+ individuals, 90+ businesses, and a portrait of a thriving community built against the tide of anti-immigrant sentiment.
Now we're digitizing La Colonia and bringing that history back to life.
This digital archive will map these businesses, preserve family stories, and invite the community to share photographs, documents, and memories that connect us to this history.
The Business Directory is now live — search 114 businesses by name, owner, neighborhood, trade, or street address, and view the original advertisements business owners placed in Cannelli's volume.
A searchable Family & Individual Directory and an interactive StoryMap — tracing where these businesses once stood and what was lost to urban renewal — will follow.
Learn more about La Colonia by clicking here.