Photo exhibition factory girls in the Kunsthal

September 4th 2008

Location: Rotterdam, Kunsthal

Over 4000 photographs of labor inspection form part of the collection of the National Archive. A selection of the most remarkable footage is being presented by the Kunsthal Rotterdam.

The black-and-white photographs were made by the labor inspection between 1900 and 1950 to demonstrate poor working conditions, child labor, dangerous situations and occupational diseases. The material has been taken out of the archive for the first time in almost 90 years and displays workers at machines, young girls in factory halls en home workers. Special attention is given to close-ups made by inspector Filarski. These photographs form a wonderful exception to the aloof registrations of his colleagues. Together the photographs form a realistic representation of working conditions and industry in the recent past.

Photo Archive                                                                                                          
The selection of photographs of the labor inspection exhibits fields of industry and activities that no longer exist, or have been taken over by machines: a woman wearing an apron cuts underwear in a tricot weaving mill, and standing women are gluing dozens of matchboxes together, in a large factory hall workers are wrapping chocolate bars by hand and in a shed five young women are mending fishing nets. The collection of worker portraits and records of factory halls gives a unique impression of factory work and work in the private sector at the beginning of the previous century.

The exhibition will take place from the 13th of September until the 23rd of November 2008.

For more information go to: www.nationaalarchief.nl