1921 MECHANICS INSTITUTE. Superb Brass Arts & Crafts Placard for Workers, Trades, Unions, & Socialism.

A very scarce, perhaps unique, example of a solid cast bronze placard displaying the motto and emblem of the "Mechanics Institute of New York." 

Likely produced in conjunction with their Mechanics Institute Carnival for 1921, it is emblazoned with their motto, "By Hammer and Hand All Arts do Stand."

The slogan had been the motto of the Blacksmith's guilds in England and was broadly adopted during the "Mechanics Institute" movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It neatly encapsulate the values of the Arts & Crafts movement, i.e. that "hand work" lay at the foundation of all civilization, including the arts and culture. And that therefore, workers in these domains should not be seen as "manual" labor, but as creators and significant contributors to society. 

The period was experiencing a similar dynamic to today. Emerging "factory" style manual labor and cities preferred the educated and innovative as elite citizens and tended to denigrate those who put into practice the ideas of those elites. 

The Mechanics Institute of New York was one of the most significant contributors to the American Arts & Crafts revival and was also enmeshed with the ideals of the emerging trade union and socialist movements. 

6 x 7 inches in a very good state with some usual and appropriate oxidation to the bronze [constituted in part of copper]. 

See below for further information.

https://generalsociety.org/welcome/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Society_of_Mechanics_and_Tradesmen_of_the_City_of_New_York