Cuba Material collection · Colección Cuba Material
Powered by CatalogIt · Gestionada con CatalogIt
Catalog
"AJR" Lapel Pin
Object/Artifact
A small lapel pin formed of three stepped, overlapping square enamel panels, each carrying a single raised gilt capital letter, together reading A J R. The panels asscend left-to-right in the colors of the Cuban national flag: "A" in gilt on blue (lowest, at left), "J" in gilt on white (center), and "R" in gilt on red (highest, at right). Each panel has a thin raised gilt border.
2025.2.24
Obtained in Cuba by Anna Veltfort and brought to New York City with her when she moved back to the US.
The AJR organized Cuban youth in the first years after the 1959 triumph. It began as a semi-military body under the Rebel Army/FAR Department of Instruction headed by Che Guevara, initially enrolling demobilized young fighters and unemployed adolescents (13–18), later opening to all young people (14–25) under the slogan "Estudio, trabajo y fusil" (study, work, and rifle). Its First National Plenary (21–24 October 1960) turned it into the unitary mass organization of revolutionary youth, absorbing the youth sections of the 26 of July Movement, the Partido Socialista Popular, and the Directorio Revolucionario 13 de Marzo. The organization existed under the AJR name only until 4 April 1962, when it became the UJC — making AJR-marked material relatively short-lived and specific to 1960–1962.
Anna Veltfort collection
2025.2
Anna Veltfort
Gift
1960s
Cuba
Caribbean
Central America
Maker/Attribution: Unmarked and unidentified (reverse not seen). Cuban manufacture. Designer unknown. Date: circa 1960–1962 (the lifespan of the AJR name, from its 1960 constitution to its 4 April 1962 conversion to the UJC).
Inscription
AJR
Letters "A," "J," "R" (one per panel).
1.4 cm
2.5 cm
Single badge of three joined/overlapping letter-panels.
Metal
Stamped metal (brass/bronze) with vitreous enamel grounds (blue, white, red) and gilt raised lettering and borders.
Fair
Anna Veltfort
owner
A.J.R.
Havana
Cuba
Caribbean
Central America
acquisition
New York City
New York
U.S.A.
North America
preservation