Early Blanket Factory, Witney, Oxfordshire

Photograph taken 1860 - 1922 © Reproduced by permission of Historic England Archive ref: CC73/00662

Women machinists sewing and folding blankets at the Witney Blanket Factory, in the 19th century. The women are wearing aprons over their everyday clothes. Most of them are wearing smart looking hats. At this time everybody wore hats out of doors. It is possible that these ladies would not normally have worn their hats while working but have put them on to have their photograph taken.

Location

Oxfordshire Witney

Period

Victorian (1837 - 1901)

Themes

These are the foundrymen of James Hews the Ironmongers. They are standing in the yard of their work premises with various iron pipes in the background and some of the tools of their trade. The men are wearing different clothes and hats that give clues to their jobs and status. The boss, office workers or possibly shop assistants are wearing a jacket, collar and tie. The workers and apprentices have flat caps and leather aprons. The men wearing bowler hats would have been overmen (foremen).

Early Blanket Factory, Witney, Oxfordshire

Location

Period

Themes

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