"National Union of Agricultural Workers Shropshire Branches banner, around 1950" [NMLH.1993.761]

Catalogue Number
NMLH.1993.761

Object Name
Banner

Title
NATIONAL UNION OF AGRICULTURAL WORKERS. REMEMBER THE PAST UNITED FOR THE FUTURE... SHROPSHIRE ...

Place
Shropshire

Description
Purple portrait banner with yellow painted lettering on white outlined scrolls to the top and bottom. At the top the text reads ‘SHROPSHIRE BRANCHES’ and at the bottom ‘UNITY IS STRENGTH’. The central section is oil-painted cotton and features the letters ‘N.U.A.W.’ above a yellow block outline octagonal shape which contains an image of a sheep with grass and sky in the background. Around the image of the sheep are the words ‘NATIONAL UNION OF AGRICULTURAL WORKERS’ on a white background. The banner has six tabs for poles across the top edge. A gold fringe runs along the bottom edge of the banner.


The National Union of Agricultural Workers (NUAW) was one of Britain’s biggest trade unions. It was founded in 1906 as the Eastern Counties Agricultural Labourers and Small Holders Union. In 1920, they changed their named to the NUAW and later renamed to the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers in 1968. The NUAW amalgamated with the Transport and General Workers Union in 1982 and became part of their Agricultural Section.


The maker of the banner is recorded as C.A.S. Ltd of London, which is almost certainly the Co-operative Arts Service. Although it was made around 1950, later changes were made to some parts of it.


The sheep on the banner's central panel is the Clun Forest breed. Clun is an ancient market town in the south west of Shropshire.