Most of us have heard of Lee Iacocca the industrialist, Robert Venturi the architect, Brian De Palma the film-maker and Gay Talese the writer. They have all contributed to the emergence of Italian-Americans as a major force in the cultural and business life of the nation.

What most Americans do not appreciate, however, is the cultural, religious, craft, and family base which made possible the success of individuals such as those named above. By presenting an exhibit on Italian-American life in the Delaware Valley, the Balch Institute hopes to fill this gap in our knowledge and to show how the ancestors of today's Italian-Americans found their "American dream" through hard work, religion, family, and community. It is a story of which all Italian-Americans can be proud and one which the Balch Institute is pleased to present.