Factory Collection

7 King Class Locomotives at Swindon Shed, 1930
From l-r: No 6005 King George II, No 6008 King James II, No 6017 King Edward IV, No 6020 King Henry IV, No 6022 King Edward III, No 6023 King Edward II, No 6024 King Edward I

Women welders at the Landers, Frary
New Britain, Connecticut. Women welders at the Landers, Frary, and Clark plant

Letchworth Garden City plan, early 1900s. Date: early 1900s

Rover factory JLP01_01_045_36
ROVER CAR COMPANY WORKS, LODE LANE, SOLIHULL, WEST MIDLANDS. An interior view of the Rover factory in Solihull showing manufacturing in progress of the Rover P4 series of cars

Duquesne steel factories at night, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1900 Hand-colored halftone reproduction of an illustration

Plan of Bournville village

Workers leave Longbridge motor plant in Birmingham after a car delivery on the last day of production before the start of a strike. 2nd October 1966

Molten steel being poured into rail trucks at the Stanton Steelworks, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, 1962. The blast furnace at the steelworks

Swindon Works Map, c. 1940s
Swindon Works Map, c.1940s, showing the growth of the GWR Works in Swindon between 1846 and the 1940s. The sheer volume of workshops and sidings can be seen in fascinating detail

Laphroaig Whisky Distillery, Loch Laphroaig, Islay, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

Consett Steel Works a98_06557
CONSETT STEEL WORKS, Durham. General view of the Consett Steel Works showing trackways and overhead piping

Cammell Laird shipyard at Birkenhead BL22201_002
Cammell Laird & Co shipyard, Birkenhead. Interior view showing a bay in the engine shop. One of a series of photographs of Cammell Laird works. Bedford Lemere. June 1913

Singer Sewing Machines - factory in Clydebank, Scotland. 1932

Austin Motor Plant EPW047811
AUSTIN MOTOR PLANT, Longbridge, Birmingham. Aerial view of the car production plant in June 1935. Much of the manufacture at this time would have been the Austin 7. Aerofilms Collection (see Links)

Engine House, GWR Works, Swindon BB94_04685
THE ENGINE HOUSE, Great Western Railway Works, Swindon, Wiltshire. 1846 interior view. Lithograph by John Cooke Bourne (1814-1896)

Children labelling tins of tea c. 1910, Butlers Wharf BB87_09690
BUTLERs WHARF, Shad Thames, London. From 1921 children had to be at least 12 years old before they could work full-time, though some of these boys look younger

Wootton Bassett United Dairies, 1930. EPW032627
WOOTTON BASSETT UNITED DAIRIES, Wiltshire. The Dairy Supply Company opened its factory in 1908 and merged with United Dairies in 1915

The Hoover Building J950085
THE HOOVER BUILDING, Western Avenue, Perivale, London. Exterior view at night

Wallsend, Tyneside
Houses and factories with cranes on the skyline in Wallsend, Tyneside

Cornish tin smelting works EPW009899a
Cornish Tin Company Smelting Works. Believed to be Seleggan Works or East Wheal Basset Smelting Works, Redruth, Cornwall

Advert for Horlicks malted milk 1916
Woman in World War One workshop, drinking the nourishing food-drink Horlicks Malted Milk. Date: 1916

The Potteries EPW045337
FAIRFIELD POTTERY, Slippery Lane, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. The heart of the potteries with a series of kilns, towers and workshops producing all kinds of ceramics

German propaganda poster, WW1
German propaganda poster, encouraging women to work in the Home Army during the First World War, for example by working in munitions factories to make grenades for soldiers to use. Date: 1914-1918

Cammell Laird shipyard at Birkenhead BL22201_011A
Cammell Laird & Co shipyard, Birkenhead. Exterior view across the outer basin looking towards a ferry moored outside the Cammell Laird buildings

Welwyn Garden City, an example of town planning
An advertisement for new houses and industrial sites at the new town of Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, an example of town planning, designed to take people away from polluted cities

Poole Pottery - Shaping a pot on the potters wheel
Shaping a pot on the potters wheel. Poole Pottery was founded in 1873 on Poole quayside, where it continued to produce pottery by hand before moving its factory operations away from the quay in 1999

Blowing glass in a British factory, 1800s
Workers in a crown-glass factory, Great Britain, early 1800s. Hand-colored engraving of a 19th-century illustration

Timpsons Shoe Factory, Kettering EPW053718
TIMPSONS FACTORY, Kettering, Northamptonshire. Kettering, along with a number of Northamptonshire towns specialised in footwear manufacture

A Factoryscape in the Potteries, (1938). Smoke from chimneys in the industrial area known as the Staffordshire Potteries, Stoke-on-Trent

Death to World Imperialism, poster, 1919. Artist: Dmitriy Stakhievich Moor
Death to World Imperialism, poster, 1919. Found in the collection of the Russian State Library, Moscow

The Iron Foundry, Burmeister & Wain, 1885, by Peder Severin
Peder Severin Kroyer (1851-1909). Danish painter. The Iron Foundry, Burmeister & Wain, 1885. National Museum of Art. Copenhagen. Denmark

Port Sunlight - a workers utopia
Page from The Illustrated London News with photographs reporting on the model factory village of Port Sunlight on the Wirral, near Birkenhead

WRIGHT: COTTON MILL. Arkwrights Cotton Mills by Night, in Cromford, Derbyshire, England. Oil on canvas by Joseph Wright, c1782-83

Rover Car Factory, Solihull JLP01_01_045_33
Rover Car Company Works, Lode Lane, Solihull. West Midlands. Interior view of Rover factory showing workers polishing cars, October 1956. John Laing Collection

Corby Ironworks
11th February 1950: Corby Ironworks in Northamptonshire at night. Original Publication: Picture Post - 4975 - Did You Know This Was Happening To England? - pub

Adverts, five Scottish businesses
Adverts for R E Walker, Reid & Co Limited, Albany Works, Dunfermline, Inglis & Co, textile manufacturers, Dunfermline, Andrew Reid & Co, Pilmuir Works, Dunfermline, Hay and Robertson

Braidwater Spinning Mills, Ballymena - a view of the factory by the river. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Antrim). Date: circa early 1900s

Station Road, Dunmurry - a view to the railway bridge with people, there is a factory to the distance

Greetings from Akron, Ohio, USA
Greetings postcard from Akron, Ohio, USA, rubber manufacturing center of the world, showing the Goodyear Memorial and a rubber tyre shape containing three scenes (Firestone, Goodrich and Goodyear)

Bryant and May Match Factory
Girls feeding a machine at the Bryant & May match factory, in Bow, East London, at the time a tax on matches was being discussed in the budget. Date: 1916

Morgan factory DP139433
Morgan Motor Company, Pickersleigh Road, Malvern, Worcestershire. Two Morgan cars with factory beyond

Staffordshire Potteries
Factories in the Staffordshire potteries, 2nd March 1946. Original publication : Picture Post - 3088 - Pottery : A Working Partys Problem - pub

The Girl He Left Behind Is Still Behind Him
WORLD WAR II POSTER. The Girl He Left Behind Is Still Behind Him. American World War II recruitment poster for women ordnance workers

Royal Aircraft Factory FE2B 4962
Royal Aircraft Factory FE2B, 4962

Concordes Cockpit
The cockpit of the first prototype Concorde, 001, at the St. Martin Sud-Aviation factory at Toulouse, France. Date: late 1960s

Aprilia RSV4 Factory

Swindon and GWR Works EPW059047
SWINDON, Wiltshire. The Great Western Railway Works, Swindon station and the workers village (Swindon New Town), looking west. Photographed in August 1938. Aerofilms Collection (see Links)

Port Sunlight BL14041_027
LEVER BROTHERS SUNLIGHT SOAP WORKS, Port Sunlight, Wirral, Merseyside. Interior view. Workers packing soap boxes. Photographed by Bedford Lemere & Co. in April 1897

GWR Works, Swindon, 1920 epw000924
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY WORKS, Swindon. Aerial view photographed May 1920. Aerofilms Collection (see Links)

The Hoover Building EPW039561
THE HOOVER BUILDING, Western Avenue, Perivale, London. Aerial view, 10th August 1932. Aerofilms Collection (see Links)

1888 Matchgirl Strike
Some of the 1400 strikers at the Bryant & May match factory, the first strike by unorganised workers to gain national publicity

Marmalade factory, Oxford CC66_00389
Male and female workers at Coopers Marmalade Factory, Oxford, Oxfordshire. Henry Taunt 1902

Dickens Brothers leather works, Northampton BB99_05292
DICKENS BROTHERS, Northampton. Photograph of interior of leather works c.1929. Preparing leather for the shoe and boot industry

Advert, Barry, Ostlere & Shepherd Ltd, Kirkcaldy
Advert for Barry, Ostlere & Shepherd Ltd, Manufacturers of Floor Cloth, Linoleum and Cork Carpet, Kirkcaldy, Scotland. 1905

Merrimac Hat Factory, Amesbury, Massachusetts, USA
Merrimac Hat Factory, on the Merrimac River at Amesbury, Massachusetts, USA. Date: circa 1900s

Mixing treated asbestos fibre, Heath Robinson machine
Efficient plant for the successful mixing of treated asbestos fibre with cement

Patent double action grinder for asbestos by Heath Robinson
A patent double-action grinder for mashing asbestos fibre - a drawing done for Turners Asbestos Cement Co by William Heath Robinson, renowned for his machines and convoluted contraptions. Date: c.1925

General Electric Company, Schenectady, New York, USA
General Electric Company buildings at Schenectady, New York State, USA

The Ovaltine Factory and Farms, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, England. Date: circa 1940s

Manufacture of cork balls at Chingford General view of the house 28 November 1922

AC Cobra Mk. 4 Lightweight (factory replica of 1960s Shelby Cobra), 1990, Blue
AC Cobra Mk.4 Lightweight (factory replica of 1960s Shelby Cobra) 1990 Blue

Henry Simonis & Co fire appliance, Nuremberg, Germany
A Henry Simonis & Co fire appliance, parked on a street in Nuremberg, Germany

Cyclops Works, Sheffield BL22301_010
Cammell Lairds Cyclops Ordnance Steel Tyre and Spring Works in Grimesthorpe, Sheffield. Men at work in the fettling shop, with huge components for ships

Steel production, Barnsley BL22301_002
Cammell Laird & Co, Penistone. Men at work in Cammell Lairds bessemer department, producing steel from pig iron. One of a series of photographs of Cammell Laird works. Bedford Lemere. August 1913

The Young Communist League is the Shock Battalion of the Five-Year Plan
RUSSIA: FIVE YEAR PLAN. The Young Communist League is the Shock Battalion of the Five-Year Plan. Soviet poster, 1931, by Vladimir Lyushin

ORGAN MANUFACTURE, 1770. The manufacture of pipe organs. Line engraving by Pierre Claude Delagardette, from l Art du Facteur d Orgues, compiled by Dom François B

Jones & Laughlin Steel Works, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Jones & Laughlin Steel Works, Monongahela River, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA - founded in 1851 by Bernard Lauth and B. F. Jones. Date: circa 1903

Bryant & May Matchworks
Bryant & Mays match factory, Fairfield Works. Date: 1878

Glass factory workers in Britain, 1800s
Manufacturing glass at a flint-glass factory, Great Britain, 1800s. Hand-colored engraving of a 19th-century illustration

Aprilia RSV4 Factory - Max Biaggi

Izmir (Smyrna), Turkey - Large fig factory
The scale of the fig industry at Izmir is demonstrated in this postcard showing a huge warehouse with a multitude of baskets and workers

Overtime at a Christmas cracker factory by William Heath Rob
Colour illustration by William Heath Robinson depicting one of his usual contraptions designed to solve the increase in demand for Christmas crackers during the forthcoming festive season

The Huntley and Palmers Works at Reading
The Huntley and Palmers Biscuit Factory at Reading, Berkshire

Bermondsey Glue Factory
Glue makers field at Bermondsey

Old Barbancourt rum factory, established in 1765, Laboule, Haiti, West Indies, Central America

Fort Dunlop EPW026942
FORT DUNLOP, Birmingham. May 1929. Aerial view. Headquarters of Dunlop Rubber, a famous tyre manufacturer, established in 1917. At one time this was the largest factory in the world

Robinsons Flour Mill, Deptford, London 1883 BL03876
ROBINSONS FLOUR MILL, Deptford, London. General view with boats in the foreground. Photographed by Bedford Lemere in 1883

Stott Park Bobbin Mill N080122
STOTT PARK BOBBIN MILL, Cumbria. Interior view, ground floor. Bobbin mill machinery

Girls on Sun Bed
A group of factory girls from Leeds, Yorkshire, England, topping up their tans with the aid of sunray treatment. Shame about the goggles... Date: early 1930s

Bessemer converter in Longwy steelworks, France
A Bessemer converter in the Longwy steelworks, France -- a process designed for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron

Cammel Laird Shipyard BL_22201_14
CAMMEL LAIRD SHIPYARD, The boiler shop, Birkenhead, Merseyside. 1914. Bedford Lemere

View of Swindon Works, c1860
This early photograph of the Works was taken from St Marks Church and shows R Shop (Machine Shop). Hundreds of wheels can be seen stored outside ready to be fitted to vehicles

The Hoover Building K970142
THE HOOVER BUILDING, Western Avenue, Perivale, London. Exterior detail

Hoover Building
Possibly the most significant arterial road factory of its date. IoE 201068

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"From Swindon Works to Loch Laphroaig: Exploring the Global Tapestry of Factories" Step back in time with a glimpse into the past at Swindon Works Map, circa 1940s. This historical gem takes us on a journey through the heart of industrial Britain, where locomotives like the majestic 7 King Class Locomotives were crafted with precision and pride. Venturing further north, we find ourselves amidst the rugged beauty of Islay in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Here lies the iconic Laphroaig Whisky Distillery, an enchanting factory that has been perfecting its craft for generations. The aroma of peat fills the air as skilled artisans create one of Scotland's finest exports. Traveling across to Consett Steel Works, we witness a symphony of fire and steel. The intense heat illuminates this bustling factory as molten metal is transformed into sturdy structures that shape our modern world. At Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, we are greeted by towering vessels awaiting their maiden voyage. This legendary factory has birthed countless ships that have sailed oceans far and wide – each carrying dreams and aspirations within their hulls. In Kirkcaldy stands Barry, Ostlere & Shepherd Ltd. , an advertisement reminding us how factories have long been pillars of local economies. Their products not only bring prosperity but also tell stories woven into every thread they produce. Clydebank's Singer Sewing Machines Factory hums with rhythmic precision as skilled hands stitch together fabrics from around the globe. In this bustling hive of creativity, innovation intertwines seamlessly with tradition. The Ferrari F1 Launch transports us to Maranello's prestigious factory where speed meets elegance. Outside its gates stand racing Ferraris - symbols of engineering excellence ready to conquer racetracks worldwide. Austin Motor Plant epitomizes British automotive manufacturing prowess.