Sheffield Anarchist Chicago Commemoration 1891

Sheffield Anarchist Chicago Commemoration, November 1891

Poster advertising a meeting to commemorate the anarchists persecuted following the Haymarket Affair in Chicago in1886 during the struggle for the eight hour working day.

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In May 1886, during a national movement for an eight-hour workday, a peaceful labour rally in Chicago's Haymarket Square erupted in violence when an unidentified assailant threw a bomb at police. 

The ensuing chaos led to the deaths of several officers and civilians. In a wave of intense public hysteria and anti-immigrant, anti-anarchist sentiment, eight labor activists—largely immigrants—were swiftly and controversially convicted of conspiracy, despite a lack of evidence connecting them to the bomb-thrower. 

The trial was widely condemned as a gross injustice, a political prosecution aimed at crushing the labor movement. Four of the men—Albert Parsons, August Spies, George Engel, and Adolph Fischer—were hanged on November 11, 1887. Louis Lingg died by suicide in his cell. The remaining three were later pardoned by a governor who declared the trial fatally flawed. Their courageous final words defended the rights of the working class and prophesied that their sacrifice would echo through history. The men transformed from convicted defendants into powerful symbols of the fight for dignity and justice.

The event is commemorated around the world on May Day (International Workers' Day), directly linking the modern holiday to the Haymarket Affair.

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Radical posters before the 20th century were predominantly text-based, primarily used to advertise events, meetings, and demonstrations rather than relying on colourful graphic imagery to convey ideas. While some did incorporate sketches or cartoons, these were relatively modest compared to the bold visual styles that emerged later.

Although the technology for producing striking graphics existed at the time and was widely used in commercial advertising, such vivid and imaginative designs were less common in political posters. It wasn’t until later that the kind of dynamic, visually arresting imagery often associated with the Russian and Spanish Revolutions blossomed in radical posters.

The posters in our pre-20th century selection reflect this earlier approach – they focus squarely on delivering a direct message, often employing dramatic language and typography to capture attention and provoke thought.