International Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters 1st Triennial Convention

International Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters 1st Triennial Convention

Physical material from the first triennial international convention for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. This convention, from 1953, took place in Los Angeles, California. Hundreds of porters and their wives took the train from the US and Canada to attend the convention. The specially-made menu for the train from Chicago to Denver on the way to Los Angeles illustrates the kind of food, and thus the kind of treatment, that the BSCP had organized for their porters. They had various options for drinks and dessert, as well as different meats for the main course. A possible meal could have been: potato and leek soup; veal cutlet, saute, a la Milanaise; whipped potatoes; lettuce and tomato salad with 1000 island dressing; apricot cobbler au naturel; assorted bread; coffee. This cost $2.25 in 1953, equivalent to just over $26 today (Bank of Canada Inflation Calculator). Although that is decently expensive, especially considering how little porters were earning, it demonstrates the importance of this event. During the conference, there was also a convention soiree. This ran on October 5th, from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM. in the chic Florentine Gardens. The convention was not only for working purposes, but for entertainment as well. It solidified the “Brotherhood” part of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, with porters from different cities able to connect into the late hours of the night.

Library and Archives Canada

Library and Archives Canada. International Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters 1st Triennial Convention. October 1953. Photograph. 3794481. Library and Archives Canada.

Library and Archives Canada

October 1953

Library and Archives Canada

Pamphlet, invitation, report