Peter Carter, a former Trustee of the Library, has recently offered his vast collection of trade union emblems, certificates and posters as a donation split between the People's History Museum and ourselves. To mark this generous gift, the Object of the Month comes from his collection.
This poster joins the many hundreds of other items already in our collections which relate to the boilermakers' union. On the wall opposite the display case in the hall, for instance, is a framed item showing the membership cards of four generations of boilermakers from the Oxley family.
The poster was designed by HJ Davis, a union member from Devonport No 1 Branch who won the first prize in the Society's design competition according the July 1959 issue of their Monthly Report, which is held in the Library.
The Boilermakers' rules of 1834 forebade the following behaviour, enforced by fines or as a last resort expulsion from the society:
- Introducing political discourse
- Seditious sentiments
- Indecent songs
- Cursing or swearing
- Betting or promotion of gaming.
‘Should any member challenge another to fight or strike another in the club-room he shall be fined 2s6d [12.5pence in today's money] for the former and 5s [25p] for the latter'.
Peter Carter's donation has brought many new items of great interest into our collections. One such is a hand-coloured emblem from the National Union of Railway Women's Guild.
In the summer of 1900 Mrs Mary MacPherson of London organised a conference of wives of members of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants (ASRS) for the purpose of forming a Railway Women's Guild. The aim of the new organisation was to co-operate with local branches of the ASRS in their efforts to further the welfare of railwaymen and their families.
January 2013
Related resources in the WCML collections
Click on any of the links below to see more information about various trades
