The Frank R. Crosswaith Photograph Collection consists of images depicting some aspects of Crosswaith's personal and professional life from the 1920s to the 1960s.
Content: Collection contains work by Bachrach, Hansel Mieth, Kaiden Studios, and others.
Content: Frank R. Crosswaith, a labor union organizer, editor, socialist and political activist, was born in St. Croix, Danish West Indies (now the U.S. Virgin Islands), in 1892. He founded and was executive secretary of the American Federation of Labor Trade Union Committee for Organizing Negro Workers in 1925, which was formed at a time when African-Americans were often excluded from labor unions. He championed the formation of the Harlem Labor Committee in 1934, which he chaired, working to organize African-Americans workers into unions and encouraging the solidarity of black and white workers. He was a prominant orator for the Socialist Party, and was an unsuccessful candidate for various political offices, including the United States Congress, New York State Lieutenant Governor,New York State Secretary of State, the New York City Council, and the New York City Board of Aldermen, for the American Labor Party and the Socialist Party tickets during the 1920s and 1930s. Crosswaith also worked as an organizer for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (1925-1928), was a staff member and organizer for the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union for over thirty years, and served as editor of Negro Labor News fortwelve years. He died in Chicago in 1965.
Content: Some items have photographer's or photography studio's handstamp on verso; many items have either handwritten notations or descriptive information on verso or recto; some items are inscribed on recto; some items are proof prints with studio stamp on recto.
Physical Description
Extent: 24 items (.3 lin. ft., 1 box) 1 photographic print : silver gelatin, b ; 33 x 26 cm. 8 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b ; 26 x 21 cm. and smaller. 2 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b ; 18 x 13 cm. 11 photographic prints : silver gelatin, b ; 11 x 7 cm. and smaller. 2 photomechanical prints : b ; 29 x 24 cm. and smaller.