Mother Jones visits Calumet, Michigan in August 1913

Mother Jones arrives at Calumet, Michigan in August 1913.

Mother Jones visits Calumet, Michigan in August 1913.

The Cork Mother Jones Committee is very grateful to Jeremiah Mason, Archivist of the National Parks Service, Lake Superior Collection Management Centre at Keweenaw National Historical Park at Calumet in Michigan for providing the Cork Mother Jones Committee with a collection of five photographs of Mother Jones.

These show her arriving and taking part in a march in the town of Calumet in August 1913 to support an ongoing strike by the copper miners of the Western Federation of Miners (WFM).

Mother Jones greeted bylarge crowds as she arrives by car with local strike leaders

These photos from August 1913 show the sense of excitement, expectation and colour in the town at the arrival of 76 year old Mother Jones. She is surrounded by male union leaders and local dignitaries. The look of wonder in some of the workers standing close to Mother Jones gives the impression of the legendary status and reverence in which she is held by miners. Mother Jones herself appears very serious and quietly determined amidst the phalanx of union men. She addressed the workers later at a mass meeting in the town.

Mother Jones (in car) leads march of strikers through Calumet, Michigan, August 1913

The wider context of these rare photos (in addition to the earlier Michigan Technological University photos on this site) is even more important as 1913/14 was the period of the Coal Wars and of frenetic activity by Mother Jones, who was at the height of her fame. Earlier in 1913, she had been very active in the West Virginia miner strikes, which had turned violent.

Mother Jones arrives with union leaders

Mother Jones was arrested by the military, court-martialled and jailed. Detained from 12th February until 8th May 1913, she was as defiant as ever when released and continued working to support the miners, addressing a meeting at Carnegie Hall in New York on 27th May 1913.

Following this August visit to Calumet, she proceeded to Colorado to actively support the United Mine Workers of America in the year long strike. During this period she was deported by the militia from Trinidad, Colorado and imprisoned twice, for a two month period and later for 23 days in          Walsenburg in appalling conditions in a dark basement cell.

On release she made speeches in Boston, New York, Washington, Seattle and British Colombia and even found time to travel south to El Paso on the Mexican border to prevent the introduction of scab labour from Mexico. She testified in Washington before House Committee on Mines and Mining.

While she was in Washington, the massacre at Ludlow on April 20th 1914 took place.  Women and children were burned to death following the local militia setting fire to the miners tent colony established during the strike.

Over 70 people died during and after Ludlow and President Woodrow Wilson dispatched Federal troops to the region to prevent civil war breaking out. Mother Jones had called for the Federal Government to take over the mines. This was rejected by President Wilson, who subsequently made proposals to settle the strikes, she urged the miners to accept the proposals.

Mother Jones (seated in car) leads the parade in support of striking copper miners

Mother Jones, although by then almost 77 years old worked constantly to assist and provide support to “her boys”. She had attained legendary status among workers everywhere and was feared by the authorities and mine owners.

These photos show the huge impact of her arrival to help the union in “Copper Country”.

Our thanks to Jeremiah Mason and all at Calumet.

The photographs are courtesy of the National Parks Service, Lake Superior Collection Management Centre at Keweenaw National Historical Park in Calumet.

Beatles Album cover designer Jann Haworth includes Mother Jones in her latest mural creation.

The original Sgt. Pepper album cover from 1967

Beatles Album cover designer Jann Haworth includes Mother Jones in her latest mural creation.

Cork woman Mother Jones has been included among the women icons in the Work in Progress Celebrating Women Who are Catalysts for Change mural featuring the faces of more than 100 influential women which have either been written out of history or marginalised.

This mural has been designed in Utah in America by Jann Hayworth and her daughter Liberty Blake.

Jann Haworth and her husband Peter Blake designed the famous album cover of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band back in 1967, arguably the best remembered LP Album cover of all time.

This Beatles album spent 27 weeks at the top of the British charts and featured such songs as Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, When I’m Sixty-Four, A little Help from my Friends and A Day in the Life!

The recent Work in Progress mural consists of seven panels is 28 foot long and 8 foot wide has been on display at various cities in America and is now on its way to the UK where it will be on display at Pallant House Gallery, Chichester from November 2nd.

The Cork Mother Jones committee recently noticed that an image matching Mother Jones was on the front row of panel two of Work In Progress, so we contacted both Jann Hayworth and Liberty Blake directly who confirmed that Mother Jones is indeed featured in the mural.

Jann explained that she was a fervent admirer of Mother Jones and held her in high esteem due to her Irish great grandmother and was more than happy to include Mother Jones among those women in history whom she regards as catalysts for positive change in society.”

The new mural featuring Mother Jones to the left of the second panel. Courtesy of Jann Haworth and Liberty Blake.

Among the 100 or so women listed and portrayed in the Catalysts for Change mural alongside Mother Jones are Anne Frank, Michelle Obama, Marie Curie, Rachel Carson, Helen Keller and Mother Teresa and many others. (See workinprogressmural.org)

It should be noted that Mother Jones was also included by Jann Haworth in a permanent public civic Wall Mural alongside Martin Luther King and Gandhi in downtown Salt Lake City in Utah in 2004. This is known as the SLC Pepper mural and is an updated version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cover.

The 2004 image in Salt LakeCity, Utah

Maybe one day soon the Catalysts for Change exhibition might be displayed in Cork city?

Historic new photos of Mother Jones rediscovered

Mother Jones in car

Mother Jones with Guy Miller (Miner’s Bulletin)

 

The Cork Mother Jones Committee has received the following photographs of Mother Jones during her visit to Northern Michigan during the Copper Country strike of 1913/14. She went north to the Great Lakes area to address a mass meeting of the union members and supporters. Mother Jones was 76 years old at the time. 

 
The strike, organised by the Western Federation of Miners (WFM), is today best remembered for the Italian Hall Disaster on Christmas Eve 1913 when a false fire alarm at a miners function in a hall in Calumet, Michigan caused a crush and resulted in the deaths of 73 people, mainly children.
Woodie Guthrie’s song “1913 Massacre” tells the story of this disaster. 
 

Mother Jones in Strikers Parade 1913

These photographs were supplied by the Michigan Technological University Archives and the Copper County Historical Collections. We wish to thank Lindsay Hiltunen, University Archivist of the Michigan Technological University.

Mining Strike (Michigan Technological University Archive

 
We acknowledge also the assistance of Jeremiah Mason Archivist of the Lake Superior Collection Management Centre in Calumet, Michigan. Thanks also to James Goltz of the Mount Olive museum. 

Cork’s Lord Mayor praises Spirit of Mother Jones Festival

Lord Mayor John Sheehan along with Ann Piggott of the Cork Mother Jones Committee listening to John Nyhan singing the Pete Seeger ballad “Where Have All The Flowers Gone

The Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. John Sheehan launched the 2019 Spirit of Mother Jones Festival and Summer School at the Maldron Hotel in Shandon on Wednesday 26th June.

During the course of the launch, the Lord Mayor praised the organisers of the festival, stating that such a festival was essential in a democracy where people could attend, listen, participate and examine their own ideas and views on issues in society.
Lord Mayor Sheehan with James Nolan of the Cork Mother Jones Committee at the festival launch.

Lord Mayor Sheehan with James Nolan of the Cork Mother Jones Committee at the festival launch.

Lord Mayor Sheehan said that he was looking forward to officially opening the festival on Wednesday 31st July in Shandon.
Music and songs were provided by Richard T Cooke, Joan Goggin and family and John Nyhan. Ann Piggott detailed the packed programme of events at the forthcoming festival and summer school, mentioned in particular the highlight of the March of the Mill Children pageant and formally thanked the Lord Mayor for launching the festival.
Lord Mayor Sheehan with James Nolan of the Cork Mother Jones Committee at the festival launch.

Lord Mayor Sheehan with James Nolan of the Cork Mother Jones Committee at the festival launch.

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Members of the Shandon Area History Group, Dominic, Denis, Dypna, Maeve and Grace at the Mother Jones festival launch..

Ger McCarthy, Cork Mother Jones Committee, William Frode de la Foret and Beibhinn O’Callaghan of Cork Community Art Link.

Our sincere thanks to all at Cobh Animation Team for their attendance at the launch and for the fabulous photos, many more of which can be found on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CobhAnimationTeam/

Photos from the final day of Spirit of Mother Jones Festival 2018

The 7th Spirit of Mother Jones Festival & Summer School came to an end last evening (Saturday, 4th August) with a well-attended toast to Mother Jones at the plaque in her honour at John Redmond Street.  The 2018 festival has been a tremendous success with capacity crowds at all our events and a combination of fabulous lectures, film and music.

We wish to thank all those who contributed to making the event such a success.

Here are some photos from Saturday’s events:

Micheline Sheehy Skeffington

Micheline Sheehy Skeffington who gave a fascinating insight into the life and activism of her grandmother Hanna Sheehy Skeffington

Micheline Sheehy Skeffington presentation

William Hammond of the Cork Mother Jones Committee makes a presentation to Micheline Sheehy Skeffington

Frank Connolly

Frank Connolly who spoke about his new book NAMA-land

Frank Connolly presentation

Frank Connolly after receiving presentation from Ann Piggott and Ann Rea of the Cork Mother Jones Committee.

Mick and Jennifer Treacy

Musician Mick Treacy with his daughter Jennifer

Ukelele band

Ukelele band providing some of the music at the Butter market plaza

Loretta Williams / Mother Jones

Loretta Williams as “Mother Jones” at the Mother Jones plaque

Rory McCarthy

Rory McCarthy sings at the Mother Jones Plaque

Toast

Some of the crowd at the annual Toast to Mother Jones at the Mother Jones Plaque

Loretta and Ann

Loretta Williams as Mother Jones with Ann Piggott of the Cork Mother Jones committee

Ladies in period costume at the Mother Jones Plaque

Photos from Spirit of Mother Jones Festival Day 2 – 3rd August 2018

Photos from the second day of the 7th Spirit of Mother Jones Festival and Summer School 2018. The event continues until next Saturday evening, 4th August.

Luke Dineen presentation by Ann Piggott
Ann Piggot of the Cork Mother Jones Committee makes a presentation to Luke Dineen who delivered a fascinating talk about the life and times of Thomas “Corkie” Walsh at the Cathedral Visitor centre
Louise O'Keeffe
Louise O’Keeffe (right) who received a presentation from Ann Piggott and Ger McCarthy of the Cork Mother Jones Committee
Linda and William
Linda Quinlan and William Hammond provided lunchtime Music at the Maldron Hotel
Mother Jones 2018 Day 2 Thurs 011
Just one section of the capacity crowd that attended the the Irish premiere of “Up to the Last Drop: the Secret Water Wars of Europe” at the Firkin Crane.
Noreen Murphy
Noreen Murphy who introduced the documentary “Up to the last Drop: the Secret Water Wars of Europe”.
Anne Twomey
Anne Twomey of the Shandon Area History Group who gave a fascinating and informative lecture on Mary Annie and Muriel McSwiney
Anne Twomey and Ger McCarthy
Local historian Anne Twomey (right) receiving a presentation from Ger McCarthy of the Cork Mother Jones Committee.
Frank Connolly
Frank Connolly who spoke about his new book NAMA-land

Great start to Mother Jones 2018

Some photos from the first day of the 7th Spirit of Mother Jones Festival and Summer School 2018 which was opened today by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Mick Finn. The event continues until next Saturday evening, 4th August.

Mother Jones (Loretta Williams) with one of “her boys” (Dominic O’Callaghan)
L to R Joan Goggin, (Cork Mother Jones), Aoife Delaney (young Mother Jones) and Loretta Williams (American Mother Jones) with the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr. Mick Finn at the opening of the 2018 Spirit of Mother Jones festival at the Maldron Hotel.
Mother Jones 2018 Day 1 019
Richard T. Cooke and some of the Shandon Shawlies performing at today’s launch
Mother Jones 2018 Day 1 021
Listening to the music at the Maldron
Mother Jones 2018 Day 1 035
Ann Piggott makes a presentation to US speaker Dr. John Barimo on behalf of the Cork Mother Jones committee
Film launch
Premiere of “Fords: Memories of the Line” at the Firkin Crane Theatre last night. With (L-R) Bill Daly (Ford ex-workers group), Ann Rea (Cork Mother Jones Committee), Emma Bowell (Frameworks Films) and Eddie Noonan (Frameworks Films)

Some Photos from the First 3 Days of the 2016 Festival

  • Laurence Fenton
  • Luke Dineen
  • Richard and Jimmy
  • Lord Mayor with Jack O'Connor
  • Tish Gbbons and Ann Piggott
  • Anne Twomey
  • Crowd photo
  • Dr Sean Pettit
  • Bernadette Wallace (right)

Photos from the 4th Spirit of Mother Jones Festival

Lord Mayor Cllr. Chris O'Leary with Chris Mullin
Cork’s Lord Mayor, Cllr. Chris O’Leary with author and former MP Chris Mullin
piper
Piper Norman O’Rourke prepares to “pipe in” the Lord Mayor
Lord Mayor Chris O'Leary at launch
Lord Mayor Cllr. Chris O’Leary launches the festival

We have many more photos from the festival which can be viewed by clicking on the image below.

Mother Jones Festival 2015

More photos will follow soon