Behind the Waterfront

Print of a female ILWU member writing a letter to her husband

Overview

Patri illustrated this pamphlet produced by ILWU Local 6 for new members and directed to women in particular. The pamphlet provides a brief history of the I.L.W.U., describing how a serviceman's wife became a union member. It describes working conditions before the union and labor struggles and provides information about meetings, dues, and committees.

This cover, which spans both the front and back of the pamphlet, creates a powerful image that is only visible when the pamphlet is opened flat.

Questions

Why might Patri have used this technique to create the cover for the pamphlet?
How does the stylized image of the workers echo the theme of solidarity?

Print of men pulling pallets on a waterfront with a warehouse and ships behind them

Patri, Giacomo. Behind the Waterfront Links to an external site., circa 1950. Collection of Giacomo Patri Materials, larc.ms.0056. Labor Archives and Research Center, San Francisco State University.