Amalgamated Society of Carpenters & Joiners Banner

This double-sided banner of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters & Joiners was made in 1915 by Perth artist Richard Fellows. The banner was originally stored in a wooden box, which was already in poor condition before being inadvertently destroyed by the Conservation Department in October 1981.

Design & Symbolism

Front Side:
One side of the banner features a design similar to that found on the society’s membership certificate, designed by A.J. Wanby (CH74.116). Unlike other banners, which often had a more modern style, the banners and certificates of the Engineers and Carpenters Societies were more traditional and allegorical in nature.

Reverse Side:
The reverse side of the banner prominently displays the name and branch of the society, along with three key mottoes:

“United to Protect, Not Combined to Injure”
“Union is Strength”
“Credo Sed Caveo” (I believe, but I beware)

Additionally, the artwork includes St. Joseph of Nazareth, the patron saint of carpenters, standing on one side of the society’s emblem, while James Blayne, Chairman of the British Committee in 1866, stands on the other.