Women in Shipbuilding Gallery 3: Imperial War Museum Photograph Collection

Why were these women photographed?

The photographs were taken for the Ministry of Information, mostly by Horace Nicholls – a former freelance photographer – who had been appointed Official Photographer of Great Britain. At the end of the war, the photographs were transferred to the Imperial War Museum You can explore them online at IWM Collections. The photographs were taken as a record of the contributions being made to the war effort across society, and some appeared in newspapers at the time. Nicholls photographed women and men involved in all sorts of war work on the home front. He was an experienced photographer before the war, providing images for illustrated magazines. As well as documenting these women’s work, the photographs are carefully framed and semi-posed to create eye-catching and absorbing images. In most cases the women are directly engaged in their tasks so the photographs show the detail of their work. The images also illustrate their distinctive workwear – uniform bonnets, dresses, smocks, and trousers– which stand out from the men in their work suits. Several women are wearing jewellery such as rings and beads, and some have ‘On War Service’ badges to show they were engaged in urgent war work.

Female workers operating machinery at Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company shipbuilding yard, Elswick, Newcastle.

Workers at Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company shipbuilding yard, Elswick, Newcastle.

Workers operating a high speed drilling machine at Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company shipbuilding yard, Elswick, Newcastle.

A female worker operating a lathe at Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company shipbuilding yard, Elswick, Newcastle.

A female worker operating an automatic index graduating machine at Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company shipbuilding yard, Elswick, Newcastle.

Female workers feeding the furnaces with wood debris at Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company shipbuilding yard, Elswick, Newcastle.

A female worker feeding the furnaces with wood debris at Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company shipbuilding yard, Elswick, Newcastle.

A female worker operating a vice at a bench at Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company shipbuilding yard, Elswick, Newcastle.

A female worker operating a screwing machine at Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company shipbuilding yard, Elswick, Newcastle.

Female workers assembling light fittings at the W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company shipbuilding yard, Elswick, Newcastle.

If you have stories and would like to get in touch, please email hec.info@lrfoundation.org.uk or call in at the exhibition.

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