By the 1830s, there was a determination to regulate factory conditions. To a large extent, it was driven by the battle for political reform which resulted in the famous 1832 Reform Act, and by the anti-slavery campaign. Campaigners did not hesitate to compare the treatment of mill workers, including children, with that of slaves, and by 1833 the Factory Act was established.
As times changed Acts were developed to keep the workers healthy and working. In the Sunny Bank Mills Archive, the collection contains a variety of objects relating to these developments. From first aid cupboards to the Factories Acts that would have been displayed around the mill.
In fact, these images show the first aid cupboard in the collection which still smells of antiseptic today.
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General Museum & Archive Arts & Culture