The Ugly Side of AMerican Lithographic

[toppcat]

I still haven't found what I was looking for, which was a reference to a printing press being hauled out of th American Litho building by crane in (I think) 1919 and crashing through the sidewalk and into the Lexington Avenue subway, killing a hapless bystander but I was trolling through Google Books when I came across this, which is a lawsuit arising out of an accident at a firm I have to think was similar American Litho around 1910-11. Read the whole case and you will see the pressroom in question had seventeen printing presses:

http://tinyurl.com/yj25od5

I found another suit from the same time concerning a fourteen year old girl who got her hair caught in some machinery in a room at American Litho where they stitched pamphlets together:

http://tinyurl.com/yg9as8t

Conditions must have been ghastly as this was around the time of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire.

[Ladder7]

"Unions aren't good for America."

That is, until folks are reminded of the days before.

[nolemmings]

"Unions aren't good for America."

That is, until folks are reminded of the days before.

Bravo.

I seem to recall one of the bakeries that issued cards was sued by the heirs of young woman working there who met her maker after falling down an unguarded or unprotected elevator shaft on the job. I stumbled upon it during some m101 research, so it was likely Standard Biscuit, Morehouse Bakery or Holmes to Homes (not Weil, I remember that much). Things sure were different then.

[barrysloate]

Don't forget the Shirt Waist factory fire of 1911. That tragedy was a turning point in American labor history. When I was a student at NYU, I passed that building every day.

[nolemmings]

When I was a student at NYU, I passed that building every day.

Was that before or after the fire? (sorry, couldn't resist)

[barrysloate]

I could still smell smoke...it was in the mid 70's.

[Howe’s Hunter]

you could still smell smoke from what?

[barrysloate]

Touche.

[ValKehl]

I don't care what time Jay Leno is on TV - I'm going to keep my eyes glued to Net 54!!!
Val

[Rich Klein]

Better known as the "triangle" fire. That was the name I always heard associated with that event

Rich

[brickyardkennedy]

The most poignant story I heard, connected with that terrible event, was of the couple that embraced in a kiss and stepped off a window ledge into eternity together. Many others died, also, by jumping off that ledge, as the flames roared at their backs.

[barrysloate]

I may be wrong, but I think Triangle was the building, and Shirt Waist was the garment company. They kept all the emergency doors locked so that workers couldn't sneak out. Great plan.

Come to think of it I think the name of the company was the Triangle Shirt Waist Company. Something like that.

[steve B]

Yes, Triangle shirtwaist company. I just recently found an envelope from them but from a few years later. A neat find in a bunch of old envelopes I bought for the stamp collection.

The article is actually about another printing company, but references an American Lithographic case. Pretty interesting stuff.

Steve B

[FrankWakefield]

.

[toppcat]

Originally Posted by steve B

Yes, Triangle shirtwaist company. I just recently found an envelope from them but from a few years later. A neat find in a bunch of old envelopes I bought for the stamp collection.

The article is actually about another printing company, but references an American Lithographic case. Pretty interesting stuff.

Steve B

Quite right- I need to amend my original post!