Objects and works of art

Since its inception in 1982, the Workers’ Museum has continuously collected objects and works of art that tell the story of the labor movement and the ordinary worker. The first major collection laid the foundation for the exhibition about daily life in the 1950s, which has been a key part of the museum’s narrative over the years. Since then, objects have also been collected from selected workplaces and trade unions. The collection includes thousands of works by well-known and lesser-known artists and illustrators who have been inspired by motifs from workers’ everyday life and history.

Today, the Workers’ Museum has a collection of approximately 63,000 objects and 12,000 works of art. The museum collection is a significant contribution to the Danish cultural heritage, which the Workers’ Museum manages jointly with the other museums in Denmark, and it is registered in the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces’ joint museum registration system SARA.

All objects and works of art are museum objects and are therefore not accessible through the library or archive.

Posters

The museum’s poster collection includes posters from the labor movement organization in and outside Denmark from around 1900 to the present day. The posters have been produced in connection with election campaigns, referendums, May Day events, peace and solidarity work as well as strikes and demonstrations. Posters for student use can be viewed in the reading room by appointment.

And if you want to search our poster collection, you can find it via our library database

Flags

Since the early 1870s, eye-catching banners have been symbols of the ideals and goals of the labor movement. The individual flag is an important part of an organization’s history, and collectively, flags are part of the cultural expressions that have been used as rallying points at demonstrations, parties and labor struggles. The Danish labor movement got its first flag in the summer of 1872, and more soon followed.

Want to see more of these beautiful flags? Below we have collected examples of flag collections. Dive into the galleries and feel free to contact us if you have any questions or are curious for more information: aba@arbejdermuseet.dk