Factory Exit in Wigan (1901)

The largely female workforce of an Edwardian Lancashire factory parades past the camera.

Mitchell and Kenyon's 'factory gate' films typically feature large crowds, but the workforce at this unidentified factory is relatively sparse. Most are women, many in shawls and straw hats, suggesting that this was a textile mill. One woman, caught eating with her mouth open, seems embarrassed and swiftly runs off. At the end, several young women peer closely at the camera as if scrutinising us.