Paterson 250 Poster Series
June 12, 2026
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary in 2026, NJCDC commissioned this four-poster series to highlight moments when Paterson’s influence extended far beyond its city limits and helped shape the American story.
From Alexander Hamilton’s vision for America’s first planned industrial city, to the locomotives that helped unite a continent, to workers who fought for labor rights, to the wartime industries that helped secure Allied victory — Paterson has repeatedly played a role in defining the nation’s future.
Together, these four posters tell how one city helped shape a nation.
How the Series Came Together
NJCDC’s CEO, Bob Guarasci, wanted to do something special to celebrate our nation’s 250th milestone anniversary. Bob reached out to Christian Drury, a designer who had previously designed posters for NJCDC, to discuss a poster series that would celebrate Paterson’s unique role in our nation’s history. Bob and Chris set out to identify moments when Paterson’s influence extended beyond New Jersey and helped shape the American experience.
Many subjects were considered, from local landmarks and inventions to notable figures and industries. Throughout those conversations, one question continued to guide the process: If America were telling the story of its first 250 years, which chapters would have to include Paterson?
The answer became this series.
Each poster represents a moment when Paterson influenced the direction of the nation itself. Together, they tell a story of innovation, industry, labor, and service — of a city whose contributions reached far beyond its borders and whose impact can still be felt today.
“When people think about American history, they often think about the nation’s largest cities or its most famous landmarks. But again and again, Paterson has played a defining role in shaping the country we know today. This series is an opportunity to recognize the generations of workers, immigrants, innovators, and entrepreneurs whose contributions helped move America forward.” — Bob Guarasci, CEO, NJCDC
The Poster Collection
In 1791, Alexander Hamilton chose the Great Falls of the Passaic as the site for a bold national experiment: America's first planned industrial city. Through the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, Paterson was designed to harness waterpower to produce the goods a young nation could not yet make for itself.
At a time when the United States remained dependent on foreign manufacturing, Paterson represented a vision for economic self-sufficiency. By transforming the power of the Great Falls into productive capacity, the city became a proving ground for American innovation and helped lay the foundation for the country’s industrial future.
Between 1850 and 1875, Paterson produced the majority of the nation’s steam locomotives, placing the city at the center of America’s industrial expansion.
At Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works, engines including the Union Pacific No. 119 helped power the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. These machines connected distant regions of a growing nation, accelerated economic development, and helped transform the United States into an increasingly interconnected country.
In 1913, Paterson became the epicenter of one of the most significant labor struggles in American history.
More than 20,000 silk workers — many of them immigrants — walked off the job to demand dignity, fair wages, and humane working conditions. Although the strike did not achieve immediate victory, it brought national attention to workers’ rights and became part of a broader movement that helped reshape labor relations across the United States.
During World War II, approximately 24,000 workers at Paterson’s Curtiss-Wright plant labored around the clock to produce more than 75,000 aircraft engines for the Allied war effort.
Those engines powered aircraft including the B-17 Flying Fortress and helped provide the air power that proved critical to Allied success. In the face of a global crisis, Paterson’s workforce showed what local industry, technical expertise, and collective determination could accomplish on a world stage.
About the Artist
Christian Drury is a designer, artist, and founding partner of Brightwell, a creative studio specializing in brand-focused marketing and communications.
For many years, Drury has collaborated with NJCDC on projects celebrating Paterson’s history and civic legacy. His work includes commemorative posters honoring the Great Falls National Historical Park, Roberto Clemente, Hinchliffe Stadium, and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. His Great Falls poster was selected as one of 100 featured artifacts in the Paterson Museum’s centennial exhibition, 100 Artifacts for 100 Years.
The America 250 Paterson Poster Series continues that ongoing conversation about the city’s place in the national story.
“What drew me to this project was the opportunity to tell a national story through a local lens. Each poster explores a moment when Paterson’s influence extended well beyond the city and helped shape the course of American history. I hope the posters serve as a simple reminder for Patersonians to take pride in where they come from and the extraordinary role this city has played in America's story!”— Christian Drury
Where Does the Story Go from Here?
This series looks back at four moments when Paterson helped shape the nation.
But history is still being written.
If Paterson were to create a fifth poster fifty years from now, what would it show? What contribution being made today might future generations recognize as the city’s next great chapter in the American story?
America 250 Paterson
"The Story of America Runs Through Paterson"
#America250Paterson
Presented by NJCDC in partnership with the City of Paterson
Project Credits
The Paterson 250 Poster Series was developed by Brightwell.
The project was conceived by Bob Guarasci and Christian Drury, who provided creative direction for the series. Concept development, design, and illustration support were provided by Justin Sapp and Amelia Markey.