The museum holds a large archive pertaining to the British Needle Company, but the photographs came separately in the form of two albums which had been rescued by a former employee of the company.

The albums were passed on to a local historian, Alan Foxall, who then offered them for sale, and they were subsequently bought for the museum by the Friends of Forge Mill.

These photographs offer a unique snapshot into the life of a Redditch needle company showing how the company evolved and prospered over four decades, from the 1920s to the 1960s. The workers are named, and the images show the job that they are doing. To give a direct comparison of how the company modernised, the photographs are grouped together showing the main needlemaking processes in a more logical way than was originally presented in the albums.

To give a slightly more rounded picture of the company we have used the museum’s own archives to delve a little deeper into certain facets of the company’s life. What is revealed is their passion, belief and pride in their own products, and care and interest in the welfare of their workforce.