Der Hammer (The Hammer)

DER HAMMER (The Hammer). a Yiddish language magazine with many notable contributors and for a time much notable illustration, was published by the Freiheit, the daily Yiddish organ of the Jewish Bureau of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). Considered the Jewish Bureau’s “theoretical” monthly and by its lights a “considerable achievement,” Der Hammer began publication in March 1926. At its founding, Der Hammer published colorful cover art and songs, poems, serialized novels, book and exhibition reviews, theoretical articles, and news from the United States and abroad, following the Party line and rivaling New Masses in look, feel, and content. Der Hammer also published statements and articles by the CPUSA and its leaders, along with articles written by leading Communist comrades abroad. The magazine offered works by a variety of writers and poets, including songs, poems, and articles by Morris Winchevsky, Malka Lee, Moshe Nadir, Itzik Feffer, and others associated with several Yiddish literary groups. “Di Yunge” was represented here with works by Mani Leyb, Moyshe-Leyb Halpern, and H. Leivick; the Inzikhisten primarily by Aaron Glantz-Leyeles; and Proletpen by Menke Katz, Martin Birnbaum, and Aaron Kurtz. Der Hammer also had a special issue devoted to Black literature and art in its first year, and while male writers far outnumbered their female counterparts, Der hammer had several female contributors including Shifra Weiss, Gitl Mayzil, and Sarah Barkan.

Der Hammer’s circulation ranged somewhere from a reported 2,000 to 12,000. According to one claim, the monthly’s circulation rose to 5,500 in 1933, best considered in light of the New Masses circulation that same year, a reported 6,000. Der Hammer’s founding editorial board consisted of Moissaye J. Olgin (chair of the board), Jacob Mindel, Kalmen Marmor (who a decade prior edited a Chicago-based arts weekly, Der yidisher kunst fraynt), Melech Epstein, and Schachno Epstein.

One of Der Hammer’s chief aims was to bring art to its readers through both articles and cover art. Der Hammer published covers in full color through the first half of 1931 (after taking a hiatus in publishing from May 1929 until November 1930 for financial reasons), switching to monochrome covers thereafter. It ceased to publish artwork in color entirely in 1934, coinciding with rising political tensions abroad. During its early years, Der Hammer’s covers were done in a range of styles, from Constructivist to Precisionist to Cubo-Futurist, with heavy folk art influences. These works were created by William Gropper, Louis Lozowick, Hugo Gellert, Boris Aronson, Lydia Gibson, Joseph Lomoff, Jacob Dainoff, and Yosl Cutler, among others. Sculptress Minna Harkavy even created a promotional bust of Lenin that was featured on one cover and included with renewed subscriptions for a nominal fee. As Der Hammer’s covers switched to monochrome, Gropper, a member of the Freiheit staff, took over as sole illustrator, with few exceptions. In 1937, Der Hammer ceased publishing art on its covers.

The magazine printed its last issue in October of 1939, after which the Frayhayt (by then called the Morgen frayhat) printed a notice claiming that financial difficulties occluded Der Hammer’s continuation and that the magazine would temporarily cease publication. Olgin, considered Der Hammer’s lifeblood, suffered a heart attack and died in November of 1939, and Der Hammer never reappeared.

Gross, Goldie. “A Study of Der hammer: Aesthetic Influences on Art and Culture in the Communist Yiddish Press.” Bachelor’s thesis, Baruch College, 2020.

Strauss, Lauren B. “Painting the Town Red: Jewish Visual Artists, Yiddish Culture, and Progressive Politics in New York, 1917-1939.” PhD diss., Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 2004, 212-231.