Eight new I.W.W. “silent agitators” + cataloguing with ChatGPT 4o
- Published
- in all, Stickerettes
I recently acquired eight new I.W.W. “silent agitators” or “stickerettes,” bringing my collection up to 86 unique designs. That number is misleading, however, in that some designs are printed in different combinations of red and black ink on cream or red paper. Some designs have the addresses of I.W.W. headquarters listed on them, and some do not, which can help date the stickerettes. The address at 2422 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614 dated from April 1933 to February 1970, however, so most of the stickerettes date to that time period. The first stickerette below on red paper is one of the new ones.
I wrote a little while ago about starting to use ChatGPT 4 to catalogue stickers in the Street Art Graphics digital archive, and have been fine-tuning the process. In mid-May, version 4o came out, a “new flagship model that can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time.” My most recent prompt is this:
“There are three steps to this prompt. 1) First, in a 150-word summary for a college writing assignment, describe the contents and meaning of this I.W.W. political sticker. Please be sure to refer to specific online resources for your response. 2) Second, provide a list of Library of Congress subject headings. 3) Third, list the titles of specific websites (and corresponding URLs in parentheses) you used as sources for your response.”
Here are two of the new stickerettes catalogued using generative AI.
“Help Stop The Iron Heel [Of Fascism]” in Jstor
Generative AI Platform
https://chat.openai.com/ [ChatGPT 4o, accessed 26 June 2024]
Generative AI Prompt
There are three steps to this prompt. 1) In a 150-word summary, describe the contents and meaning of this I.W.W. political sticker for a college writing assignment. Please refer to online resources for your response. 2) After that, provide a list of Library of Congress subject headings separated by semi-colons. 3) Also, list the names of websites (and corresponding URLs in parentheses) you used as sources for your response, separated by semi-colons.
Generative AI Description
The I.W.W. (Industrial Workers of the World) political sticker titled “Help Stop the Iron Heel” serves as a call to action against fascism, depicted as a spiked boot labeled “Fascism” crushing a shackled worker labeled “Labor.” The imagery emphasizes the oppressive nature of fascist regimes and the urgent need for labor solidarity to resist such forces. The slogan “Help Stop the Iron Heel” alongside the warning “Before you are hogtied” suggests an impending threat if no action is taken. The I.W.W.’s call to “ACT!” reinforces the message of immediate and collective action. This sticker reflects the I.W.W.’s historical stance on opposing authoritarianism and promoting workers’ rights through direct action and solidarity.
Generative AI Library of Congress Subjects
Industrial Workers of the World; Labor movement; Labor unions; Propaganda, Political; Anti-fascism; Political posters; Workers’ rights; Direct action; Authoritarianism; Social movements; Political activism.
Generative AI Web Sources
IWW Store (https://store.iww.org/shop/under-the-iron-heel/); Industrial Workers of the World Archive – The IWW – Its First 100 Years (https://archive.iww.org/history/chronology); Industrial Workers of the World Archive – Why I Wrote Solidarity Forever (https://archive.iww.org/writing/solidarity_forever); Industrial Workers of the World Archive – Direct Action and Sabotage (https://archive.iww.org/writing/direct_action_and_sabotage).
“Bigger Pay — Better Conditions” in Jstor
Generative AI Platform
https://chat.openai.com/ [ChatGPT 4o, accessed 28 June 2024]
Generative AI Prompt
There are three steps to this prompt. 1) First, in a 150-word summary, describe the contents and meaning of this I.W.W. political sticker for a college writing assignment. Please refer to specific online resources for your response. 2) Second, provide a list of Library of Congress subject headings. 3) Third, list the titles of specific websites (and corresponding URLs in parentheses) you used as sources for your response.
Generative AI Description
The I.W.W. political sticker promotes the Agricultural Workers Industrial Union 110. The sticker features a cartoon of farm workers, emphasizing the benefits of union membership for securing fair wages and improved working conditions. The central image shows workers with a sign that humorously states, “Give the men all the eggs they want! Anything suits me!” This phrase underscores the disparity between the workers’ needs and what they actually receive, advocating for better treatment. The sticker invites farm workers to join the union by providing the contact details of an organizer in Yakima, Washington. This piece of propaganda reflects the I.W.W.’s commitment to organizing agricultural workers and improving their labor conditions through solidarity and collective action.
Generative AI Library of Congress Subjects
Industrial Workers of the World; Labor movement; Labor unions; Propaganda, Political; Agricultural laborers; Political posters; Workers’ rights; Direct action; Social movements; Political activism.
Generative AI Web Sources
Industrial Workers of the World – What Everyone Should Know (https://archive.iww.org/official/iww_lit); Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) – HistoryLink.org (https://www.historylink.org/File/141); The Modern Relevance of the IWW (https://archive.iww.org/about/modern_relevance).
The other new stickerettes are here:
