mayday1913

does anyone have translations of the hebrew or italian signs?

The Italian sign on the left is a demand for a trade union closed shop. Literally: "We ask that the shops are occupied only by unionists." The signs with Hebrew letters are likely to be in Yiddish - that was the language of Eastern European Jewish immigrants to the US. Yiddish is written in Hebrew letters, in the same way that English is written in "Roman" letters. The one on the left has an English message on its other visible side which looks like it is probably something along the lines of "We demand closed shops and open doors", judging by the message on the Italian sign.

This is a lovely set of pics - big thanks to the Library of Congress for putting them up here. But I'd have thought the LoC might have access to some translation service or researchers with language skills... it's a pity if it doesn't.

I think the other Italian sign might be something like: "Down with the spies and those who have sold out to the bosses/been bought by the bosses." But it would be good to hear from someone who actually speaks Italian...

OK, last guess for today: the Yiddish sign at the back could well be calling for an eight-hour day. That would be the likeliest reason for a big number 8 on a strikers' placard in 1913. Come on Yiddish and Italian speakers - we need you! And a happy May Day 2009 to workers of all countries and languages!

"N.Y. May Day Parade Strikers' children from Paterson.", it reads. This relates to the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913, and this therefore is of course May 01, 1913. Here is a reference in a book to the New York May Day Parade of 1913: books.google.com.au/books?id=8oXpyXXavIkC&pg=PA79&... Here's the wikipedia entry on the strike: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paterson_Silk_Strike_of_1913 And from the New York Times of May 02, 1913: " It was a strikeless May Day for New York, and the paraders had to import some 110 children of Paterson silk strikers from New Jersey to give embodiment to the woes of the workers." and "The big auto labeled "Children of Paterson Strikers" in great red letters reached Union Square at 4:10 o'clock, and was greeted with the greatest burst of cheering of the day." [ ref. query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9505E7DB103BE633A... ] I don't know if this photograph was taken in Union Square. Perhaps some of you New Yorkers can help with that one.

By comparison with the newly uploaded photograph [ www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3295494976/ ] which was taken in Union Square on May Day 1913, we can now say that this photograph too was taken when the Stirkers' children arrived in Union Square. I'm tagging this and some other associated photographs with "May Day 1913" to make them easier to find.

Thank you for this information. We'll correct the source data for the two photographs and reload the descriptions.

It's a veritable sea of bowlers!

yeah couldn't help but notice the hats! wow.

very cool