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The early labour movement banners had a symbol on the top of the bannerpole. The social-democratic banners sometimes used the goddess of freedom, especially the women organisations. The trade unions did show a symbol for their work like these joiners and modelmakers that shows a saw.
Sometimes the top emblem was constructed of the members but it could also be made by a specialist. In the 1880s they were often cut in wood. Later on they were often forged or founded. They were very heavy and could be up to half a metre in size.

When the first 1st of May demonstration was celebrated in 1890 the Swedish labour movement only used local bands or badges. In 1894 the first centrally produced badge was printed by the Social-democratic Party in Stockholm. It shows a goddess of freedom or justice taken from the German socialist iconography. The following years the badges show almost the same motif and the demand for 8 hours workingday. They were all red and made of paper. The text and pictures were golden or white.

The Finnish economy had a severe setback in the beginning of the 1990's. The construction workers were the first to suffer the consequencies of the recession. When the building sites for the people ceased to be, they put up a campaign 'Let's build houses, at least for the birds'.

A sword of many tales. During the Civil War this sword was discovered
in the Finnish government building. It had probably belonged to a
member of the 'Sabre Senate' - the government of Russian officers, who ruled Finland during the First World War. Artturi Hellman, who found the sword, played an important role in the People's delegations (the red government), and when
the People's delegation had to flee from Helsinki because of the advancing
German troops (who were supporting white forces to capture Southern Finland),

The object on the right is made of metal from an American plane, shot down over North Vietnam.

A wooden spoon, made in the Hennala prison camp in 1918. After the Civil war thousands of Finnish men and women were detained in prison camps,
while the country suffered from serious food shortage. Conditions were so
bad, that many prisoners died of hunger before they could be
judged. To suppress the thought of food many prisoners started to make small handicrafts. This spoon is made by Emmanuel Lammi
and is dedicated to his daughter Sanni.

This is the private portrait album of Eleanor Marx, Karl Marx's daughter

Portrait bust by the sculptor Longuet, who was Marx's grandson.