Tyomies Society (Photographs), Records

Finding Aid

IHRC

Descriptive summary

PROVENANCE

This photograph collection was deposited in the IHRC archives in November 1993, as a supplement to the IHRC’s Työmies Society collection (IHRC2635) that was deposited in the archives in February 1973. The photographs were a gift from the Työmies Society of Superior, Wisconsin, publisher of the Työmies-Eteenpäin newspaper. In January 1995, with funding from the Wirtanen Family Fund and the United Fund for Finnish American Archives, Heather A. Muir, an independent scholar and former IHRC intern, was hired to process these archival materials. Timo Riippa, Curatorial Assistant for the IHRC, served as the project supervisor and Joel Wurl, IHRC Curator and Assistant Director, served as project director. In 1999, Muir, then Assistant Curator, completed processing of the photographic portion of the collection, and Thomas Mackaman, student assistant, contributed the historical sketch. In 2004-2005, the photographs were digitized and included in the IHRC COLLAGE database and the current finding aid was made available online in 2005.

HISTORICAL SKETCH

The Työmies Society came into existence as the organization that published Työmies (The Worker), which was founded in 1903 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The newspaper moved from Worcester to Hancock, Michigan in 1904, and to Superior, Wisconsin, in 1914 where it remained until its final printing in 1998.

The chief function of the Työmies Society was the publication of newspapers, periodicals, and books for Finnish speaking Americans in order to promote the ideas of the international working class and to educate Finnish immigrants. Toward that end, the Työmies Society published Työmies (1903-1998); the women’s newspapers Tyolaisnainen (Working Woman) and Naisten Viiri (Women’s Banner). It also published seasonal, humorous, and children’s periodicals, as well as hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books and pamphlets. Because of its various publishing endeavors, the Työmies Society can lay claim to being the most prolific publisher of the Finnish American community. At the time of its last printing, Työmies was the longest-running, continuously published Finnish immigrant newspaper in the United States, and at its peak it had the largest circulation. Throughout the course of its ninety-five year history, the Työmies remained an outspoken critic of American capitalism and a community voice for left-wing Finnish Americans, advocating socialism, cooperativism, and labor unions. The Society went beyond publishing, becoming a political, social, and cultural center in Finnish American working class culture.

The close relationship between the various Finnish socialist locals and Työmies allowed the newspaper to disseminate cultural information from Finland and review and photograph many aspects of Finnish American hall life including plays, musical performances, and athletic events. In turn, the locals would often advertise cultural events in Työmies. Further, the newspaper itself maintained among its employees a chorus and drama club. After finding its home in the Lake Superior area of the Midwest, Työmies was followed by two other socialist newspapers, Toveri (The Comrade, 1907, in Astoria, Oregon) on the West Coast and Eteenpäin (Forward, founded in 1921) on the East Coast. Both papers would later be absorbed by Työmies, the latter joining in 1950 and adding its name, hence Työmies-Eteenpäin. Työmies proved itself to be a quite durable publication, enduring erosion from the ranks of the Finnish American left and constant attacks from outside. Originally an advocate of the Finnish Socialist Federation (founded in 1906 as the first foreign language federation within the American Socialist Party), the newspaper twice found itself at the center of factionalism within the Finnish American left. In 1914, a group of Finns who were committed to industrial unionism under the leadership of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) failed in a takeover attempt to acquire publishing operations and subsequently founded a separate newspaper in Duluth, Soscialisti (later Industrialisti). In 1920, an ideological shift occurred among Midwestern Finns under the leadership of Työmies, and socialist locals chose to affiliate with Lenin and the Third International, while East Coast socialist chapters tended to remain loyal to the American Socialist Party and the publication Raaivaaja (The Pioneer). Avowedly radical, the publication was attacked several times by reactionary forces. Printing was moved from Hancock to Superior after the tragic Copper Country strike of 1913 and the post-strike repression of activist miners and newspaper operations, which included the arrests of the editors and a boycott of advertising.

The Työmies Society endured two red scares: the first during World War I and the early 1920s anti-Communist, anti-foreigner hysteria and government censorship, and the second during the 1950s with McCarthyism, which resulted in the attempted deportation of two Työmies editors, Knut Heikkinen and William Lahtinen. Other notable editors include: Vihtori Kosonen, Leo Laukki, George Halonen, Richard Pesola, and Leo Mattson. Inevitably, Työmies fell victim to the gradual assimilation of the Finnish American community and the loss of Finnish readership, as immigrants and second generation Finnish Americans (veterans of the vibrant working class movement of the pre-World War Two era) passed away. As of 1999, the Työmies Society published only one all-English publication, the monthly Finnish American Reporter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

The Työmies photograph collection is comprised of those photographs that were taken by the Työmies newspaper staff, as well as some that were given to the Työmies Society from other people interested in the Finnish-American labor movement. The collection visually documents the various ways that Finnish-American workers organized themselves and covers the time period from the beginning of the 1900s to the early 1970s. The collection represents local and regional political and social organizations, including groups for workers, women, children, musicians, actors, and athletes. Also included are photographs of significant, influential Finnish-Americans and other individuals with their families. The Työmies Society also kept file photographs of generic snapshots of people, buildings, and scenery.

There are over 600 photographs in this collection, mainly black and white with a few in color. They range in size from snapshots to 10” x 13” mounted photographs, and even some larger panoramic photographs that have been rolled up for storage. Also included are a few negatives, rose tinted positives, postcards, and clipped photographs from various publications. Because the sizes of the photographs vary considerably, like-sized items are stored together. Thus, the inventory reflects both an image number and a box number. Many of the photographs have some sort of identifying marks on them, such as a group’s name placed on the print or written on the back. Some of the photographs have hand written notes attached to them identifying key people in the photograph. Other sources of identification include first hand knowledge of the IHRC staff as well as others involved with Finnish Americans and their activities. Several of the photographs have been published in issues of the Työmies-Eteenpäin and other newspapers, Työmies Society anniversary editions, and other books and publications relating to Finnish American activities. Some photographs are in excellent condition, but a good portion of them suffer from age and/or mishandling and are bent, marred, written on, or torn. Therefore, a set of photocopies of the original photographs has been made for use by researchers. The originals have been placed in storage, but may be seen by researchers upon request. All digital images from all series can be searched in COLLAGE.

ORGANIZATION OF MATERIALS

The photographs have been divided into three main series: organizational activity, people, and newspaper file photographs. (The oversize box contains photographs from all three series.) The series have been broken down further into more specific groupings (see below).

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS

The Tyomies Society (Photographs) collection is available for public research.

OWNERSHIP & LITERARY RIGHTS

The Tyomies Society (Photographs) collection is the physical property of the Immigration History Reseach Center, University of Minnesota.

For further information regrading the copyright, please contact the IHRC.

CITE AS

The Tyomies Society (Photographs) Records, Finnish American Collection, Immigration History Research Center, University of Minnesota

Index Terms

Description of Series

This section briefly describes each series in the collection. A more detailed description of the contents of each series may be found in the following section.

Detailed Description of the Collection

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