Factory Wives

From the collection of

Media Archive for Central England
MACE is the strategic lead organisation for screen heritage for the East and West Midlands regions. An independent charity based at University of Lincoln, MACE preserves and makes accessible a collection of more than 100,000 historic moving images representative of the diverse cultures and histories of communities throughout the heart of England from the Lincolnshire coast to the Welsh border.

Factory Wives


Outside the Vaughan Brothers drop forge in Willenhall Sue Jay meets three women whose husbands work inside. Never before have they ventured inside the maelstrom of noise and fury that is the Victorian drop forge. Once inside the women soon realise why their husbands have been going deaf during their long hours in the stamping shop. They discover that none of the men are wearing the ear protectors on offer - a macho act of bravado that will have long term consequences.


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