Co Op Collection

Advertisement for Trades Unionists Sheep Shear Co-operative Society steel sheep shears, Brunswick Works, Eldon Street
Original at Sheffield City Archives BandB/125

The Original Co-op, Rochdale, Lancashire
On December 21st, 1844, the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society commenced trading in this building thereby launching the worldwide Co-operative movement

New Lanark Mills, Scotland, c1815. Robert Owens (1771-1858) model community of cotton mills and housing. Educational facilities were provided, as well as the worlds first day nursery

Sign on the wall at Champagne Palmer, a big cooperative co-operative, Reims, Champagne, Marne, Ardennes, France

A cartoon commenting on the early days of the Co-operative movement, 19th century
5311010 A cartoon commenting on the early days of the Co-operative movement, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1871); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Hermeswiese Settlement, Vienna, Austria
The Hermeswiese Settlement (Siedlung Hermeswiese), designed as a garden city, was created in cooperation with the municipality of Vienna with the cooperative " Altmannsdorf-Hetzendorf"

Gillys Bingo, South Bank, Middlesbrough. 1977

Phyllis Calvert, English film, stage and television actress signing copies of her new LP, pictured with Child TV Star Kate, at Stockton COOP, Circa 1973

New flats and old buildings side by side in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. 30th April 1964

The Co-Operative department store on Cardiff Road, Caerphilly. 1st December 1964

The Co-Op store in Torquays Union Street which was demolished in the 1970s to make way for a brand new Co-Op department store.Circa 1920

CIS Building, Corporation Street, Manchester

Grain elevators, Caldwell, Idaho, 1941. Creator: Russell Lee
Grain elevators, Caldwell, Idaho

Washing oranges at an orange packing co-op, Redlands, Calif. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Washing oranges at an orange packing co-op, Redlands, Calif. Santa Fe R.R. trip

Packing oranges at a co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Packing oranges at a co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. Santa Fe R.R. trip

Operating a machine for putting tops on crates, co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Operating a machine for putting tops on crates at a co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. Santa Fe R.R. trip

Loading oranges into refrigerator car at a co-op orange packing plant, 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Loading oranges into refrigerator car at a co-op orange packing plant

Grading oranges at a co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Grading oranges at a co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. Santa Fe trip

Automatic dumper at the co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Automatic dumper at the co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. Santa Fe trip

Drying oranges at a co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Drying oranges at a co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. Santa Fe R.R. trip

Co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. Workman is doing the preliminary sorting, picking out the discards. Santa Fe trip

Growers bringing in their crop to a co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. 1943. Creator: Jack Delano
Growers bringing in their crop to a co-op orange packing plant, Redlands, Calif. Santa Fe R.R. trip

Farmers supply co-op, Nyssa, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farmers supply co-op. Nyssa, Malheur County, Oregon

Farmers supply co-op established in 1936, Nyssa, Malheur County, Oregon, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farmers supply co-op established in 1936. 800 farmers in this county belong. Sells also radios, washing machines, and refrigerators. Paid thirteen percent dividends from January 1 to July 1, 1939

A cartoon depicting the early days of Co-operative stores
5311016 A cartoon depicting the early days of Co-operative stores. Illustrated by George du Maurier (1834-1896) a Franco-British cartoonist and author, 19th century by Du Maurier

CO-OP Sale, Guildford, Surrey, Thursday 7th January 1971

Petrol station sign, West Midlands. 19th February 1975

Interior view of Annfield Plain Co-op and grocery department staff. Annfield Plain, County Durham. Circa 1925

Market Square, Pontypridd. 11th January 1973

Staff at The Co-operative Bank, John Frost Square, Newport, have started getting hot behind the counter... so special dispensation has been given for them to wear shorts instead of their bank

Night time at one of Teessides early major shopping developments, Thornaby. 1st February 1972

Shopping in Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, and the regions villages can be pleasant and leisurely compared to the bustle and parking problems of the town. 27th May 1976

Paul Flowers, former Co-operative Bank chairman. He has been a Methodist preacher for almost 40 years and served as a Labour councillor for Bradford Council for a decade. 3rd September 1985

Foleshill Road shops, Coventry. 25th August 1977

Barnsley Co-op, Park Road branch interior, South Yorkshire, 1961. The interior of the Park Road branch of the Barnsley Co-op, showing an interesting variety of early 1960s products

Barnsley Co-op, Park Road branch exterior, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 1961. Artist
Barnsley Co-op, Park Road branch exterior, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 1961

Barnsley Co-op, Kendray branch exterior, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 1961. Artist
Barnsley Co-op, Kendray branch exterior, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 1961. A typical late 1950s or early 1960s supermarket exterior

Barnsley Co-op, Kendray branch interior, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 1961. Artist
Barnsley Co-op, Kendray branch interior, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 1961. The interior of the Kendray branch of the Barnsley Co-op, showing a nice variation of early 1960s products

Barnsley Co-op, Smithies branch exterior, South Yorkshire, 1961. Artist: Michael Walters
Barnsley Co-op, Smithies branch exterior, South Yorkshire, 1961. Photographed for the Barnsley Co-operative society, the photograph shows a dog waiting eagerly outside the Smithies branch in South

Early 1960s Austin LD high top van (mobile Shop), Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, 1965. A van belonging to the Scunthorpe Co-operative Society (SCS). 498 FFM was used as a mobie shop by the SCS

Barnsley Co-op, interior of the Jump Branch, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 1961. A photograph for the Barnsley Co-op showing the interior of their their new outlet in the village of Jump

Barnsley Co-op, Jump branch, near Barnsley, South Yorkshire, 1961. A photograph for the Barnsley Co-op showing their new outlet in the village of Jump, near Barnsley

Interior of the Butchery Department, Barnsley Co-op, South Yorkshire, 1956. Artist
Interior of the Butchery Department, Barnsley Co-op, South Yorkshire, 1956. The interior of shop before its renovation. A good example of a postwar shop interior

Exterior of the Butchery Department, Barnsley Co-op, South Yorkshire, 1956. Artist
Exterior of the Butchery Department, Barnsley Co-op, South Yorkshire, 1956

Mini van being washed in a car wash, Co-op garage, Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, 1965. An Austin Mini van from the North Lindsey Water Board stands in the car wash at the Co-op Garage in Scunthorpe in

Interior of the Barnsley Co-op central mens tailoring department, South Yorkshire, 1959. View showing a display of Barnsley Grammar School uniforms

Exterior of the Barnsley Co-op central mens tailoring department, South Yorkshire, 1959. The shop windows show displays of schoolwear for children and late winter overcoats for the older generation

All Professionally Made to Order for Quick Shipping

"Embracing the Power of Co-op: A Journey Through Time and Space" Step into the world of co-operative societies, where collective strength and shared values have shaped communities across the globe. From steel sheep shears at Brunswick Works in Eldon Street to the birthplace of modern co-ops in Rochdale, Lancashire, we witness the spirit of collaboration that has stood strong since c. 1900. In Reims, Champagne, a sign proudly adorns Champagne Palmer - a testament to their commitment as a big cooperative co-operative. Meanwhile, New Lanark Mills in Scotland takes us back to c1815 when social reformer Robert Owen championed workers' rights through his visionary approach. Across borders in Vienna's Hermeswiese Settlement and Manchester's CIS Building on Corporation Street, we see how co-operatives transcend national boundaries to empower individuals and uplift communities. Even unexpected places like Gillys Bingo in Middlesbrough showcase how diverse industries can thrive under the cooperative model. And amidst towering new flats and historic buildings side by side in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, we find harmony between tradition and progress fostered by cooperation. Traveling overseas once more, Caldwell's grain elevators stand tall as symbols of unity within Idaho's farming community during 1941. In Redlands, California during World War II era photographs captured by Jack Delano show orange packing cooperatives at work – washing oranges or packing them with care – illustrating how even nature's bounty can be enhanced through collective effort. As we reflect on these snapshots from history – from Caerphilly's Co-Operative department store opening its doors on December 1st, 1964 to bustling orange packing plants – one thing becomes clear: co-operation is not just an idea; it is a force that transforms lives for the better. Let us celebrate this timeless concept that unites people worldwide towards common goals. Together, we can build a brighter future by embracing the power of co-op.