Men attending a May Day meeting on Glasgow Green in 1913.
1 May was declared an international working class holiday by the International Working Men's Association (the First International) in Paris in 1889. The holiday commemorates the Haymarket Martyrs, a group of trade unionists from Chicago who were executed in 1886 for allegedly killing eight policemen by throwing a bomb during a protest against police brutality.
There are uniformed policemen in the crowd (left), keeping an eye on the proceedings. A few unfurled umbrellas in the distance suggest that the meeting endured typical West of Scotland weather.
Reference: 560.89.125
Reproduced with the permission of Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Museums
Keywords:
bowler hats, bunnets, caps, children, fashions, First International, Glasgow Green, Haymarket Martyrs, International Working Men's Association, May Day, moustaches, parks, police officers, policemen, political rallies, socialism, socialists