This item was selected to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I. It depicts a steel foundry owned by William Shaw, who lived with his family in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire. One of his five sons was the aviator Wing Commander Geoffery Shaw DFC.
From 1914 to 1918, the North East of England had what was called an ‘Armaments Boom’ where factories contributed to the war effort. It is likely that this photograph would have been taken and displayed to show such a contribution by the Wellington Cast Steel Foundry.
The Archive of Modern Conflict is a private collection based in London and Toronto, Canada. With thanks to Hilary Roberts, Imperial War Museum, for providing additional information on this photograph.
This photograph featured as part of the Touchstone programme (2012-2020). Each display consisted of a single photographic work on the Eranda studio floor where visitors were invited to respond to the question 'What do you see?' using the cards and pencils provided. A bench was placed in front of the work, encouraging people to spend a little longer than they might usually. The programme was part of a wider series of projects and activities related to visual literacy.
