Coalport China Museum is home to some truly spectacular displays of china and porcelain but, amongst the finery, it is the humblest looking objects in the collection which are arguably the most significant.
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In response to the relatively poor British designs on display at the Great Exhibition of 1851, the 'Science and Art Department' was established by the Board of Education in 1856, in South Kensington.
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Discover more about some of the women who worked in the ceramic and iron industries in the Gorge and gained the right to vote in 1918.
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The role of women in industrial history has often been overlooked, forgotten, or hidden. Yet thousands of women worked in industry across the Ironbridge Gorge, as well as industries across Britain. All these women made a vital contribution to the nation’s industrial past.
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Children worked in every industry across the Gorge, in the same dismal and dangerous conditions as adults, to help support their family’s income. They were generally employed in unskilled roles supporting adult family members but earned much smaller wages. Yet, without their wages, their families could not survive.
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Changing tastes, two world wars, and competition from other industrial areas caused the industries of the Ironbridge Gorge to decline in the 20th century.
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Whilst occupations were a large part of workers’ identities in the Ironbridge Gorge, the small amounts of leisure time they had were also important to them and shaped how they viewed themselves. The hardships they faced at work and at home also meant that the industrial workers of the Gorge used their leisure time to the fullest.
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The Daily Grind was held as a physical exhibition, at the Coalbrookdale Gallery, 28th April - 5th November 2023. We asked our visitors if they or their ancestors worked in the industries of the Gorge.
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