Lithography has been around since Alois Senefelder itemized a laundry list using crayon on a piece of stone in 1797. The inventor was a musician looking for an economical way to reproduce the music he was writing. Senefelder capitalized on the knowledge that grease and water don't mix and developed a process that revolutionized the printing industry.

The revolution, however, had lots of help- craftsmen who loved their work. This brave group of craftsmen met in a fishing shack on the Hudson River in April of 1882, and they adopted the fishing club title to hide their activities from the employers. The group agreed to meet in secret and to map out plans to protect their craft and bring about a better standard of living. The improvement they sought then is equally important today. They were against layoffs, piece work, wage cuts, unhealthy working conditions and the exploitation of the lithographer. During the first 15 years of the 20th century lithography took a quantum leap. Photography found it's way into the lithographic process as did half-tone screens and mechanical presses which lived up to the promise of high speed they quickly became popular.

In January of 1915 The Amalgamated Lithographers of America was created incorporating the Stone and Plate Preparers Association and the Union of Litho Workmen, the Feeders Association joined in 1918 and the Poster Artists Association in 1945. Over the next four decades they would continue to change with the times and with the technological changes to the equipment and improved techniques everywhere. This great union would continue to change with the times. The balance of the history of the great union of ours spun off victory after victory of wage and fringe benefit increases among them: paid vacations, paid holidays, pension fund, health and welfare programs and the 35-hour work week.

More at litho.org

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