Worker Collection (#94)

Installing a cage at Hickleton Main pit, Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, 1961. Artist
Installing a cage at Hickleton Main pit, Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, 1961. During the drive to improve the pits in the South Yorkshire area during the 1950s and 1960s

Laboratory facility at Spillers Animal Foods, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, 1960. Artist
Laboratory facility at Spillers Animal Foods, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, 1960. The Laboratory and testing facility at Spillers at Gainsborough where the company developed new animal feed products

Switch board operator, Spillers Animal Foods, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, 1960. Artist
Switch board operator, Spillers Animal Foods, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, 1960. A late 1950s style plug in telephone switch board

Quality checking cookers at the GEC plant, Swinton, South Yorkshire, 1960. Artist
Quality checking cookers at the GEC plant, Swinton, South Yorkshire, 1960. An overview of the final stages of cooker assembly at the GEC plant in Swinton, near Rotherham

The final stages of cooker assembly at the GEC plant, Swinton, South Yorkshire, 1960. The GEC, which was formed in 1900, first acquired a factory in Swinton, near Rotherham

Ward & Sons soft drink bottling plant, Swinton, South Yorkshire, 1960. Artist
Ward & Sons soft drink bottling plant, Swinton, South Yorkshire, 1960. Swinton had a strong tradition of glass manufacture

A busy timber yard, Bolton upon Dearne, South Yorkshire, 1960. Artist: Michael Walters
A busy timber yard, Bolton upon Dearne, South Yorkshire, 1960. The Goldthorpe Timber Company operated for many years from the nearby South Yorkshire village of Bolton upon Dearne

Outpatients awaiting treatement at the Montague Hospital, Mexborough, South Yorkshire, 1959. The hospital was founded in 1889 after a campaign by Dr Sykes and Andrew Montague of Melton Hall

Newspaper typesetting, Mexborough, South Yorkshire, 1959. Artist: Michael Walters
Newspaper typesetting, Mexborough, South Yorkshire, 1959. Typesetters from the South Yorkshire Times composing pages for the newspaper

The binding room at the White Rose Press printing Co, Mexborough, South Yorkshire, 1959. The White Rose Press Company was responsible for the printing of many publications

Carpenters working on church pews at a small carpentry workshop, South Yorkshire, 1969. Bramall and Ogden received a national accolade for their craftsmanship

Locomotive repairs, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1959. Artist: Michael Walters
Locomotive repairs, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1959. Doncaster has a great tradition of locomotive building. During the Industrial Revolution

Technicians at work in Clays TV repair in shop, Mexborough, South Yorkshire, February 1959

Austin vans being loaded outside Clays TV repair depot, Mexborough, South Yorkshire, 1959

Damp proofing, Goldthorpe, South Yorkshire, 1957. Artist: Michael Walters
Damp proofing, Goldthorpe, South Yorkshire, 1957. Two workers use a cutting machine used to create a channel in which to insert a damp proof membrane

Miners working in Mitchell Main Colliery near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 1956. Artist
Miners working in Mitchell Main Colliery near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 1956. During a dispute in 1893, it was rumored that strike breakers were working inside the mine after a pit lock out

Vibration sensing for the steel industry by BOC, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, 1966. Two Technicians from the British Oxygen Company using vibration sensing equipment inside a steel plant in Rotherham

Civil engineers at Silverwood Colliery, South Yorkshire, 1954. Artist: Michael Walters
Civil engineers at Silverwood Colliery, South Yorkshire, 1954. Civil engineers excavating a pit during the refurbishment of Silverwood Colliery in December of 1954

View from the hold of the Manchester Renown, Manchester, 1964. Dockers loading steel bars onto a ship from a dock on the Manchester Ship Canal

Steel bars being loaded onto the Manchester Renown, Manchester, 1964. Artist
Steel bars being loaded onto the Manchester Renown, Manchester, 1964. British steel products were in demand worldwide during the 1960s due to their high quality

Toolholder turning a giant roller, Edgar Allens, Sheffield, 1964
Toolholder turning a giant roller, Edgar Allen Steel Co, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1964. A steelworker turning an A 2.5 metre roller. The roller is machined to create the smooth edges

Assembling a bubble chamber at the Edgar Allen Steel Co, Sheffield, 1964. Artist
Assembling a bubble chamber at the Edgar Allen Steel Co, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1964. The bubble chamber was invented in 1952 by Donald A Glaser

Pre-packed gammon steaks, Danish Bacon Company, Yorkshire, 1964. Artist: Michael Walters
Pre-packed gammon steaks, Danish Bacon Company, Yorkshire, 1964. A studio image shot to advertise the new range of pre-packed gammon steaks available from the Danish Bacon Company

Fridge assembly at the General Electric Company, Swinton, South Yorkshire, 1964. Artist
Fridge assembly at the General Electric Company, Swinton, South Yorkshire, 1964. Fridges roll off the end of the production line at the General Electric Co in Swinton (South Yorkshire)

Fridge assembly line at the General Electric Company, Swinton, South Yorkshire, 1964. The assembly lines at the GEC factory (later to become Morphy Richards)

Charging an electric arc furnace, Park Gate Iron & Steel Co, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, 1964. During the process of producing steel in an electric arc furnace

Computer room scene, the Park Gate Iron & Steel Co, Rotherham, 1964. Artist
Computer room, Park Gate Iron & Steel Co, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, 1964. An operator at the controls. What once occupied the space of a large room such as this can now be stored on one of todays

Packing bacon rashers, Danish Bacon Company, Selby, North Yorkshire, 1964. Artist
Packing bacon rashers, Danish Bacon Company, Selby, North Yorkshire, 1964. After the meat has been sliced on the bacon slicing machine, the rashers are packed into cellophane bags for delivery

Bacon slicing machine, Danish Bacon Company, Selby, North Yorkshire, 1964. Artist
Bacon slicing machine, Danish Bacon Company, Selby, North Yorkshire, 1964. A female operator using a bacon slicing machine at Danish Bacons depot in Selby

Lowering galvanised heat exchangers, Edgar Allen Steel Co, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1964. An employee of the Edgar Allen steel foundry directs the operator of the overhead crane as a load of

Continuous sharpening of longsaw blades, Slack Sellars & Co, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1963. The blades run on a continous conveyor system as they have yet to be cut into the appropriate lengths

Fabricating a giant extractor fan, the Edgar Allen Steel Co, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1963

Jowitt & Rogers factory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, 1963. Jowitt & Rodgers Co is an abrasive manufacturing company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the USA

Excavations at Rossington Colliery near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1963. Artist
Excavations at Rossington Colliery near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1963. Civil engineers from Norwest Construction at work. The men are without any protective headgear or safety equipment

Meat dressing at the Danish Bacon Co, Kilnhurst, South Yorkshire, 1957
Meat dressing at the Danish Bacon Company, Kilnhurst, South Yorkshire, 1957. The meat dressing area of Danish Bacons new Kilnhurst depot

Modernisation of the South Yorkshire coalfields, Cadeby Colliery, near Doncaster, 1955. Civil engineers make preparations for a concrete pour on the site of the new heapstead at Cadeby Colliery

Coils of steel wire, Tinsley Wire Co, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1972

Packing punches, Footprint Tools, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1968

A spring hammer turning drill bits, Footprint Tools, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1968

Twist your arm for an order, 1967. Artist: Michael Walters
Twist your arm for an order, 1967. A Stanley Tools rep uses a little gentle persuasion to secure an order

A salesman gets a helping hand in checking the figures, 1967. Artist: Michael Walters
A salesman gets a helping hand in checking the figures, 1967

Boxes being packed ready for distribition, Stanley Tools, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 1967

An order gets a close inspection, 1967. Artist: Michael Walters
An order gets a close inspection, 1967

Typist, 1967. Artist: Michael Walters
Typist, 1967

The International Exhibition: Messrs. Harrison and Son's power-loom for weaving flax, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: Messrs. Harrison and Son's power-loom for weaving flax, 1862. This loom combines many important improvements

A welder using a blow-torch. Italy. Date of Photograph:1950-1960

Men working on the hull of a ship Venice. Date of Photograph:1945 ca

The canal and a stage in the demolition of Verde Bridge in Trieste Trieste. Date of Photograph:03/05/1950

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The worker, a central figure in the capitalist pyramid, has been depicted throughout history in various forms of art and propaganda. From American socialist posters to Diego Rivera's murals at The Detroit Institute of Arts, these artworks shed light on the struggles and triumphs of workers. In 1911, an American Socialist poster showcased the harsh reality faced by workers within the capitalist system. It emphasized the unequal distribution of wealth and power, with a small elite benefiting from the labor of many. Diego Rivera's mural depicting the automobile industry in Detroit during the 1930s captured both the grandeur and hardships experienced by workers. It showcased their tireless efforts amidst towering machinery, highlighting their crucial role in driving industrial progress. During China's Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao became an iconic symbol for workers' empowerment. A cultural revolution poster portrayed him as a guiding force leading them towards a brighter future. Labour Party posters from 1910 challenged societal inequalities such as House of Lords' rejection of budget reforms. These visuals aimed to rally support for fairer treatment and representation for working-class individuals. From Geevor Tin Mine in Cornwall to coal mines in South Wales and England during different time periods, images depict miners enduring grueling conditions underground while contributing to fueling industries above ground. Gustave Caillebotte's painting "The Floor Planers" immortalized manual laborers engaged in mundane yet essential tasks. Their stoic expressions reveal their dedication despite monotonous work environments. Artists like El Lissitzky used powerful imagery such as "Beat the Whites with Red Wedge" to promote communist ideals after World War I. This poster conveyed unity among workers against oppressive forces through its bold design elements. Soviet propaganda posters further highlighted worker mobilization during Stalin's Five-Year Plan era. Vladimir Lyushin's artwork celebrated young communists as shock troops driving economic growth through industrialization efforts. These diverse artworks remind us that workers have played a pivotal role in shaping societies and economies.