Deep Blue Deep Blue https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/documents Research Collections Library (University of Michigan Library) 2005 Soapboxes and Saboteurs: 100 Years of Wobbly Solidarity: An Exhibit Hand, Franki https://hdl.handle.net/2027.42/120279 Downloaded from Deep Blue, University of Michigan's institutional repository \ ' Soapboxers and Saboteurs 100 Years of Wobbly Solidarity September 6 - November 26, 2005 An Exhibit Curated by Julie Herrada Special Collections Library Uoiversity of 11.ichigan Special Collections Library Exhibh Hours: Monda)' - Friday: 10:00 - 5:00 Saturday: '1 0:00 - Noon Special Collections Library 7th Floor Harlan Hatcher Gradl,",e Libral), Dedicated to aU the anonymous Wobblies who sacrificed Universiry of Michigan their lives for their fellow workers, and to Carlos Cortez, Ann Arbo r, Ml who was a true living spirit of the IWW. (734) 764-9377 [email protected] http://www. tib.u mi ch.edu/spec-coll CopyriJ.jht 200S by rh.... Univcrsi ry of Mlchis:' n 1J brnrr Ull i \lc r ~i f}' o f .\fich igan. Ann ,\ rb\)(, 1\11 U ni versity or Michigan Board of Regents: Davicl A. 6r;t ndotl Lau n.: n(c B. Delich Olivia P. "Mayn,lrC! Rebecca J\ lcGowan Andrea rischc:r Newman '\ ndrC'w C. I{jchn f:t S. Man in T3.y lor Kathe rine E. Wh itt: elcome to this exhi bi t celebrating the centenru al yea r of the Indus trial \Vu rke rs .... v ___ . ._ . ~ of the World, one of the most influential and colorful labor unions of ou( Sbr. ....... • • .l.-tI T.~ .0..... _ Industrial Worker Wti me. Ju~ e Herrad., Curator of rhe exhibir and of the Labadie Collection of .••• I-.I"~ ~ •• 010 .. t.. No . ..... ..,. I ..... ... Socia l PrOtest LiteraIUre (part o f the Special Col1ections Library), has brought the:: vivid ~ f" "'" ~~~ ~ I ••• • INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE WORLD history of the IWW to ~ fe through photographs, posters, pamphlets, manusc ripts, books, P ..IlIi.rh ~d W eeki" and newspaper dppings. 065 WEST I...... KE STREET CHIC AGO. ILL. .... 6 1S The variety and richness of marerial s included in thi s exhibit demonstrate the extraordin ary strengths of the Labadie CoJlection. The Collection began with the gift o f)o bbadie's own archjve and li brary to the University of Michigan in 1911. Known as I'the gentle anarchis t of Detroit," Labadie was a printer, early la bor leader, and col"um oisr fo r several A~ nes Ing les, journals (among them Benjamin Tucker's magazine Liberty), who corresponde::d with 809 30. Division S t ., .<1o nn .t:.ri)o r , 1,11cb . many other important progressive thinkers and accumulated a nore\vorthy coUection of radical publications of the late 19th and earl y 20th centurie5. He c eived y our note and am hr.vin,:; the rn~ . t6ri :!.1 fo ri·;s. l~cled £'. s pel' dil'El ct.i.ons. I'm s ure you will However, it was through the contacts and support of the fi rst curator of the Labadie f 1 nd some of it VE.lue."i)l e. House-cl ean:tnc; is n i)i g Collection, Agnes Inglis, that a great many of the I\X!\x! mate ri als in the collection were job Ill'ound this office. ''::here ;-rere tons of o l d stuff and I feal"' much intercs'dnr; lm..terllll WRS bal ­ acgujred. Born to a wealthy family in Detroit. Agnes Ingli s became a social activist as an ed a nd sol d . adult and was a good friend and supporter of many radical causes such as social welfare 'l'he boys wN'e inforMed to SRve s.t least one c opy of every i teJ::1 to s end to the collect ion . I f assistance and labor organizing. She became known as a. re li able person who could help they have failed , it is s i r::ply b e ct'.use t here '0".'8.8 out in many ways, whether the need was for organizing Emma Goldman's appearances in so much l'lu t eriRl to ch oose from . But I'm s u re they did the bes t the;.' could. Ann Arbor or providing bail money for jai led I\'V'W members. \,(/hile she was Curator of I l ook f Ol'W[c!' O 'co the plef'.8ul'O o f visi tine the Labadie Collection from the 19205 to the 1950s mnny people who ad mired her gave tha t '1! onderful collection 30me dB.y . Ju:;,t a t pre­ their personal and organizational papers and archives to the Collec tion, including several sent 1 1m hes.d over heels i n v;O!'k here end oee but little c.iHmce of 8ettine c aue ht up f or eome ',;1..,e who were integral to I\XI\'V hi story. (See the letter from Ralph Chaplin on facing page.) to come ~ hly ' :ii'e arid boy alvmy s \"lish to be t'e t:1 er~ibered . The University of Mjchigan Library has continuously added to the Labadie Collection Your loy.:..lty a nd devotion ~k ve endep.red y ou t o a ll of u s .. I lin si..I.:'e vi e riou. l e n o ve many t!l:!.ng s to ta lk SInce !ts receJpt. Ie now has some 800 subscri ptions to periodicals being produced by over . radical groups and te ns of thousands o f books, pamphlets, and manuscripts on topics 1/1th best I'ish es PJld much appreci Q. tion , I ranging from ea rl y labor unions to civil rightS struggles to student unrest of the 19()Os. it r ennin, is one o f the leading collecti ons of h.i storical sources related to social radicali sm in the Sinc ~!"61y , world , and is used intensively by students and faculty at the Un.iversity o f l\1ichigan as 67~e~ we U as by resea rchers from around the country and from abroad. We are extremeJy grateful to our co-sponsors, who have helped ro make this ca talogue and a special concert and reception fea turing singer An.ne Feeney on October 19th possible. Peggy Daub, Head Lel/er from kalph Chaplin to A~~Il('S lng/if,firJI fIImlor 0/ Ihr La{;(/dif Co/iUlion Special Collections Lib,"ry The Making of a Radical Labor Union "The working class and the employing class have nothing in common." Opening sentence of the IW,\'';: Preamble. Sponso rs Special Collections Library, University o f Michigan In the last half of the nineteenth cenwry, working conditions in American facrorie!l, University Library, University of Michigan mines, and mills were deplorable. Industrialists were ruthlessly making money at the expense of the health and sa fety of workers, often looking upon their employees D epartment o f History, University of Michiga n as less than human and treating th em practically as slaves. No labor laws existed to protect the Industri al Workers of the World , Detroit Branch men, women and children who poured in to no rthern industrial centers. The cheilpeSt of Insti tute for the Humanities, U niversity of Michigan laborers were the freed slaves fro m the South and poor immigrants fcom E urope escaping Institute o f Labo r & InduStrial Rela tions, Uni versity of Michigan famines, devastati ng wars, and repressive regi mes. Instead of finding a better way of life I nternati o nal Brotherhood of E lectrical Workers, Local 58 they fo und conditi ons as dire as rbose they had le ft behind, with disease~ rid den slums of Program in American C ul ture, University of Michigan sub-standard tenements and shoddy min ing towns maki ng their home lives no Roger A. Lowenstein, LSA '64 easier than thej r work lives. Some of these immigrants began speaking out and or~n izi ng working people to try to forge a better standard of living for themselves and their compatriots. At first only skilled tradesmen were unionized, bLl t in 1869 the Knights of Labor was created, a union including ail workers regardless of skill, race, or gender. Thanks to Ooseph A. Labadie, fo under of tile Labadie Collection, was an organizer for the Knights of Labor io the 18705). T he union Franki Hand of the Special Collections Library fo r the design and hyout of this catalogue rapidly grew in membership to nearly 750,000, but declined in the 1880s and was practically extinct by 1900. Tom H ogmth and Leyla Lau Limb of the Library s COllSlIT1Jation Ullit 1.11': If/'. COlJstitlltio/l, 1908 In addition to poverty~lcvel wages, dangerous machinery, sub-standard and unsanitary Shahana Alam, rccCllt graduate of the School of Information,for scanning the illustrations for this sweatshops, and indifferent and cruel bosses, exceedingly lo ng houts were imposed o n catalogue workers o f all ages. Six-day workweeks of 1 2 ~ 1 4- h o u r days were not uncommon. O ne of the principal Jabor struggles in the 1880s was the movement for the eight-hour day. Kathleen Dow and Peggy Daub of the Special Collections Library lor moral support and assistance T his idea was considered a majo r threat to industrial progress and profits, and whenever those advocating it rook acti on they were usu ally met with violence. with the exhibit (Kathleen) and raising money (peggy) One of the galvanizing events in American labor history was the Haymarket Riot in Chicago Staff of the Special Collections Library Jor their sUpp0l1 and accommodation in 1886, sparked by the struggle for an eight ~ h o llr day.