Workers at Kynoch Ltd Lion Works, Birmingham (1901)

A rich impression of a vibrant Midlands works, in an unusually elaborate 'factory gate' film.

Most of Mitchell and Kenyon's 'factory gates' films are quite simple affairs: typically one or two shots. This unusual example, spread over two rolls of film, has familiar images of exiting workers and cheery kids framed by establishing shots and set pieces with the bosses, who clearly took a close interest in the film as a badge of status. The extra detail makes this a particularly rich portrait.

A Victorian capitalist success story, Kynoch's was strong in ammunitions-making - its productivity was no doubt boosted by the Boer wars. The company was later absorbed into ICI.