Ralph Mills

Nottingham lace machines

A corner of a lace machine maker's factory.
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A collection of images in Nottingham Industrial Museum

When I was a volunteer at Nottingham Industrial Museum I was given the pleasurable task of scanning a number of glass negatives of lace machines. It was repetitive, but fascinating and rewarding work. I was told that each machine was first fully assembled in the factory. Then, because they were often destined for export, and because they were so large and complex, they were taken apart and shipped in pieces. Photographs were taken to assist the engineers in rebuilding them on site. These are just a few examples. (Figures 1 to 4)

Taken using long exposures and small apertures, the 6.5 x 4.5 inch negative are incredibly detailed. For example, in Figure 13 you can make out a rack of tools in the background (enlarged in Figure 14). I enlarged and explored many of the images: the details of the machines mean nothing to a non-engineer, but neverthless show what amazing feats of mechanical engineering they were. And of course Jacquard lace machines used an early form of punched card programming. However it was what was going on in the backgrounds of the photographs that really grabbed my attention — glimpses of the interiors of the factories, of the belts and pullies that powered the machinery, and the occasional more human detail, like a ghostly flat cap.

A work bench, with several vices. Note the coat hanging on the wall.
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Women take over the lathes.

During the First World War, lace-making factories changed to making munitions, and because the majority of younger men were otherwise engaged, women were employed on the factory floors. Figures 13—27 show some images from that period.

Sadly, most lace machines were broken up, simply smashed to pieces using sledge hammers, when they were no longer used. However there are a few examples of small machines in Nottingham Industrial Museum.

A spanner and an oil can laid aside one day over 100 years ago
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Updated on 18th January 2022

Making the machines

Figure 1: A lace machine stands on the factory floor.
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Figure 2: A view of one end of a lace machine.
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Figure 3: A lace machine stands ready to be dismantled for shipping..
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Figure 4: A curtain lace machine. The "curtain" is the program that dictates the lace pattern. Nottingham Industrial Museum has a curtain lace machine but can't display it because the ceilings are too low!
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Figure 5: Aother curtain lace machine.
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Figure 6: Detail of a manufacturer's plate on a lace machine.
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Figure 7: Detail of part of the belt drive that, presumably connected to a steam engine, drove the machines.
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Figure 8: Amongst the belts and pulleys, early electric lighting.
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Figure 9: To hide the factory that lay beyond the machines, operative held up sheets and shook them in order to blur them during the long exposure. Sometimes tantalysing glimpses of these holding the sheets can be seen.
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Figure 10: Sometimes a tool or two crept into the photograph.
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Figure 11: This detail shows some of the complexity of the machines.
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From lace to munitions

Figure 12: A female lathe operator making shell casings in a lace machine factory.
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Figure 13: An enlarged view of the machinist and the shell cases she was working on. It is a grim thought that they were soon to be used in the killing fields of France. | ENLARGE |

Figure 14: A rack of tools ready to be used by the machinist.
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Figure 15: Another photograph of the woman machining shell cases.
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Figure 16: Another female lathe operator.
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Figure 17: A closeer view of the lathe operator, with her hair tucked into a cap, the only nod towards safety that I can make out.
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Figure 18: Another lathe operator.
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Figure 19: A last lathe operator. Their caps vary. It may be that they had to supply their own.
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Figure 20: I wonder if this woman is a factory supervisor. She is dressed more smartly, and is either setting the clock or checking her watch.
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Figure 21: The supervisor looks a little doubtful.
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