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The Pinnacle of Dunellen's industrial might
was reached when the huge Art Color Printing Company of New York built its
plant and commenced operations in 1925, making Dunellen's principal
industry the mass-production of romance and adventure. At its peak,
the plant turned out over 10,000,000 copies of magazines a month.
Among the more popular publications were True Romance, True Detective
Mysteries, Modern Screen, and Modern Romances.
In charge of this massive enterprise was
Arnold A. Schwartz, president of Art Color. His rise and the
development of his business comprise a fabulous success story typical of
American industry. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, of American
parents of Swiss descent, he came to America in 1888 at the age of
16. In this country he entered the printing trade and rose to the
position of superintendent at the Schweinler Press, magazine
printers. In 1907 he bought a controlling interest in the Art Color
Printing Company, then located in New York. By 1925 it had grown too
large and unwieldy for New York and was moved to Dunellen. The shop
unionized throughout, and the 1,100 employees had extensive social and
athletic organizations such as bowling, tennis, baseball, and basketball
teams, with facilities supplied by the management. Schwartz's
beneficences extended beyond the walls of his factory: his annual gifts of
food-baskets to more than 200 needy families during the Thanksgiving and
Christmas seasons became an established custom over the years.
In 1931, the W.F. Hall Printing Company of
Chicago bought control of Art Color. Arnold Schwartz remained as
president. He died in 1963 at the age of 91. W.F. Hall closed
its Dunellen plant in 1968.
A study of library needs was conducted in
1968. The survey recommended that a one-story building be
constructed for the exclusive use of the Dunellen Public Library. On
15 June 1970 the Mayor and Council allocated a portion of the Art Color
parking lot on New Market Road as a site for the proposed building.
The Arnold A. Schwartz Foundation made a
grant of $60,000 to the building fund and the new building was named in
memory of Mr. Arnold A. Schwartz.
Thus, the official name of the building is
the Arnold A. Schwartz Memorial Library.
The Foundation continues its assistance to
the library through annual gifts to purchase needed books, computers, and
equipment.
(Information on Arnold A. Schwartz has been
taken from: The History of Dunellen, New Jersey by Wes Ott (1988), and The
Story of Dunellen,1887--1937, written by the Workers of the Federal
Writers Project.)
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