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Child Labour Factories
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Child Labour Factories
Young flax hecklers in Marshalls mill, Leeds (Yorkshire, England)
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Media ID 573706
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10008848
1846 Conditions Factories Flax Labour Leeds Mill Hecklers
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative image captures the harsh realities of child labor in the industrial heartland of England during the mid-19th century. Taken in 1846 at Marshalls Mill in Leeds, Yorkshire, the photograph depicts a group of young hecklers, their faces etched with the hardships of their laborious lives. The mill, a symbol of the burgeoning Industrial Revolution, looms in the background, its chimneys belching out smoke that would have filled the air with a thick, acrid haze. The children, dressed in threadbare clothing, are shown huddled together, their expressions a mix of defiance and exhaustion. Their role as hecklers was essential to the mill's operation, as they would sort and separate the raw flax fibers, a painstaking and labor-intensive process. The average age of these children was around 8 years old, and they would work long hours, often from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with only short breaks for meals. The conditions in which these children worked were deplorable. The mills were dark, damp, and poorly ventilated, and the noise level was deafening. The children were exposed to hazardous chemicals, such as scalding hot water and caustic soda, which could cause severe burns and other injuries. Moreover, they were paid meager wages, often as little as 1 shilling a week, which was barely enough to sustain themselves and their families. This photograph is a powerful reminder of the human cost of the Industrial Revolution, a time when progress came at a great price. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the determination of children to survive in the face of adversity. The image also underscores the importance of recognizing and addressing the exploitation of child labor, a problem that persists to this day in various forms around the world.
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