Abstract: A gripping device for handling heavy, dense articles made from organic materials formed into bricks, fired at high temperatures in kilns and for movement of the bricks from a storage area to a location for installation in a driveway, roadway, or the like to endure the wear and tear of pedestrian and vehicular traffic that moves thereover. The gripping device includes a base member, an associated telescopic member and a handle operable to clasp together a vertical row of stacked bricks into a secure assembly and thereafter maintain the assembly in a locked position as a worker carries the assembly from a storage area to a place of installation. The device includes a release mechanism operable to quickly disengage the stacked bricks at any desired location on a work site.