Employees Leaving Yates, Haywood & Co. Foundry, Rotherham (1900)

Victorian ironworkers emerge from the grand entrance of a long-established South Yorkshire firm.

Unusually, these workers leave through the building's front entrance, perhaps indicating that they had just been paid. The boys behave better than in many 'factory gate' films, possibly due to the presence of a burly police sergeant by the entrance. One man sports a wooden leg, although his real leg remains intact, sticking out behind at right angles - could this be relief for a temporary injury?

The name Yates, Haywood & Co dates back to 1846, but this firm of ironfounders had its origins as early as 1823, when James Yates took over the remains of the old Walkers' Foundry. The firm came under new management in 1911, but the name was retained until the company finally closed down in 1970.