PAIR OF UNION PUBLICATIONS - MAY AND JUNE 1926

About the Publication

• Title: The Carpenter

• Publisher: The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC), based out of Indianapolis, Indiana at the time.

• Historical Significance: First published in May 1881 by union co-founder Peter J. McGuire, The Carpenter is one of the oldest continuously published labor union periodicals in North American history. It was designed to keep dues-paying members informed about union news, labor laws, localized wage disputes, technical woodworking tutorials, and architectural drafting lessons.  

  . May 1926 Edition (Volume XLVI, No. 5)

  • Cover Art: Features a striking, period-typical block illustration of a craftsman at a workbench working with a hand plane, flanked by a hand saw and architectural compass.

  • Back Cover Ad: A wonderful vintage advertisement for E.C. Atkins & Co. "Silver Steel" Saws, featuring "Mr. Happy Man" and showcasing the historic Indianapolis saw manufacturer.

  2. June 1926 Edition (Volume XLVI, No. 6)

  • Cover Art: Uses the same iconic union masthead and craftsman framing illustration as the May issue.

  The Local Provenance Stamp

  Both covers feature a vintage, ink-stamped name and address:

  G. H. Puffer

  136 Fairlawn Ave.

  Newark, Ohio

  This means these exact copies were mailed directly to a local Newark carpenter and union member exactly one hundred years ago. It gives the ephemera a fantastic piece of local labor history.