- On View
- Cultural Expressions Gallery
- Museum Maps
- Objects in this Location
- Exhibition
- Cultural Expressions
- Manufactured by
- Marshalltown, American, founded 1890
- Used by
- Black Men of Labor, Inc., American, founded 1994
- Date
- ca. 2003
- Medium
- steel
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 1 5/16 × 10 × 15/16 in. (3.3 × 25.4 × 2.4 cm)
- Caption
- The Black Men of Labor (BMOL) is an exclusively all-male krewe, or parading group in New Orleans founded in 1993. The founding generation of the organization all came from building arts trade families and the group originally paraded the Sunday of Labor Day weekend in honor of the working men and women of New Orleans.
- This masonry tool was used by the organization in New Orleans for educational purposes, helping to demonstrate brick making and the building arts.
- The mission of the BMOL is to "educate, preserve and perpetuate the rich African and African American culture of New Orleans traditional Jazz music. Through arts and culture the BMOL promote civic engagement and creates opportunity for those interested in building sustainable income and wealth" (Black Men of Labor 2013). BMOL is one of many benevolent societies that were created in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries to help free and enslaved Africans cope with financial hardships.
- Description
- A steel brick jointer tool, manufactured by Marshalltown. Each end has a different size curve, for making different sized joints. Left curve is larger than right, and the curve points down on the left, while the right end points up. Etched in the center reads [MARSHALLTOWN] with [83] underneath on the left, and [USA] underneath on the right.
- Place used
- New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
- Place made
- Marshalltown, Marshall County, Iowa, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Tools and Equipment-Occupational
- Type
- jointers
- Topic
- Associations and institutions
- Building Arts
- Communities
- Fraternal organizations
- Labor
- Men
- Social reform
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of The Black Men of Labor, Inc.
- Object number
- 2015.260.10
- Restrictions & Rights
- No Known Copyright Restrictions
- Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.