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Photographs around The Industrial Museum & Full Street areas in Derby City Centre, England

This page features pictures and historical information about the following:
Derby Industrial Museum, Silk Mill, Full street. These are located in Derbyshire


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All images © Andy Savage & © www.derbyphotos.co.uk
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Photos of the Industrial museum area, Derby, Derbyshire, England
Derby's industrial museum which is now (2004) known as The Silk Mill - Derby's Museum of Industry and History is situated next to the river Derwent and is located within what was once a silk mill. On this this site in 1702 Thomas Cotchett built a wooden framed mill (demolished) in which he attempted to spin silk filaments into thread. His method failed to produce thread of consistent quality. Then in 1717 his former associate John Lombe smuggled the plans for silk throwing machines out of Northern Italy. In 1718 George Sorocold built a five storey water powered silk mill for him.
John Lombe was murdered in 1722 by an Italian worker as an act of Revenge!

The Silk Mill - Derby's Museum of Industry and History forms part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site which runs from the museum for 15 miles along the river Derwent to Matlock Bath's Masson Mills.
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Photo Description : The Silk Mill - Derby's Museum of Industry and History.
Image Reference No. : DP-130703CITYINDUST-01
Exact Map Location : Click HERE
Date photo taken : 13th July 2003
Other Information : This is The Silk Mill - Derby's Museum of Industry and History on a summer afternoon.
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Photo Description : Derby Industrial museum
Image Reference No. : DP-020601CITYINDUST-02
Date photo taken : 2nd June 2001
Other Information : This is Derby's Industrial Museum located near Derby cathedral. On this day there happened to be a steam power exhibition on.
For more information about this museum click HERE.
The silk mill was built in 1718 by George Sorocold for the Lombe brothers.
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Photo Description : The arches from the original silk mill
Image Reference No. : DP-020701CITYINDUST-03
Date photo taken : 2nd July 2001
Other Information : In 1718 George Sorocold built a five storey water powered silk mill here for John Lombe, This was Britain's first factory. In 1826 and 1910 it was damaged by fires. These arches are the remains of the original mill base, The tower is the only other original part remaining to this day.
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Photo Description : Derby Industrial museum
Image Reference No. : DP-020701CITYINDUST-04
Date photo taken : 2nd July 2001
Other Information : This is Derby's Industrial Museum with the river side garden next to it.
To look at a 360° panoramic photograph taken from the gardens here, Visit my panoramic photos page by clicking HERE

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Photo Description : Detail on the Bakewell Gates
Image Reference No. : DP-140403CITYINDUST-05
Date photo taken : 14th April 2002
Other Information : These Grade II listed wrought iron gates were built in 1725 by Robert Bakewell. Between 1934 and 1988 they stood beside the library in the Wardwick.

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Photo Description : Derby Industrial museum & Cathedral
Image Reference No. : DP-241001CITYINDUST-06
Date photo taken : 24th October 2001
Other Information : I took this photo of the Silk Mill building and Derby Cathedral from the edge of the river bank on Phoenix Street.
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Photo Description : River Derwent near the Derby Industrial museum
Image Reference No. : DP-020601CITYINDUST-07
Date photo taken : 2nd June 2001
Other Information : This is the view of the river next to the museum. The building in the distance is the Council house.
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Photo Description : Derby Industrial museum Aero engine display.
Image Reference No. : DP-020601CITYINDUST-08
Date photo taken : 2nd June 2001
Other Information : This is one of the many engines on display in the museum.

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Photo Description : Grasshopper beam engine.
Image Reference No. : DP-020601CITYINDUST-09
Date photo taken : 2nd June 2001
Other Information : This is George Fletcher's Victorian steam powered half-beam engine called Grasshopper which is Five horsepower.
It was built around 1850 and can be seen running on Bank Holidays.
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Photo Description : Cathedral view from Derby Industrial museum
Image Reference No. : DP-160901CITYINDUST-10
Date photo taken : 16th September 2001
Other Information : This is Derby's Cathedral viewed from next to the statue of Bonnie Prince Charlie
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Photo Description : Statue of Bonnie Prince Charlie
Image Reference No. : DP-050402CITYINDUST-11
Date photo taken : 5th April 2002
Other Information : This is statue is located on the grass near the Industrial Museum, at the rear of Derby Cathedral.
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Photo Description : Statue & Museum view
Image Reference No. : DP-130703CITYINDUST-12
Date photo taken : 13th July 2003
Other Information : Here you can see the statue and The Silk Mill - Derby's Museum of Industry and History.

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Photo Description : Derby Industrial museum
Image Reference No. : DP-020601CITYINDUST-13
Date photo taken : 2nd June 2001
Other Information : This is a steam engine from Long Whatton with the Industrial museum in the background.
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Photo Description : Truman show organ at Derby Industrial museum
Image Reference No. : DP-020601CITYINDUST-14
Date photo taken : 2nd June 2001
Other Information : This is a steam powered fair organ called "de specht" (the woodpecker)

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Photo Description : The Derby Lock-Out Mural
Image Reference No. : DP-080902CITYINDUST-15
Date photo taken : 8th September 2002
Other Information : This mural is painted on the side of the Silk mill pub. The mural wa painted by the Derby Community Arts Project in the mid 1980s. It tells the tale, (as recorded in contemporary local and national trades union press accounts), pictorially of the Derby dispute of November 1833 to April 1834,.
Detail :
The factory system had arrived in England to the advantage of Capital and the detriment of labour. The benefits of collective organisation and action for labour had to wait until the repeal of the Combination Acts in 1825. In the recession which followed there repeal the capitalist owners of the many factories in Derby sought to exploit there power by cutting wages and conditions. This led to the first organised action by Labour - the Silk Trades Lock Out of 1833.

The origin of this lock out was in the desire on the part of the owners to prevent their workforce from being members of the trade union. The threat to expel workers who would not leave the union was carried out and 1800 people in the factories surrounding the waterways of Derby were locked out. The struggle lasted for eight months before being resolved. its resolution can best be described as a draw as both sides lost out in the conflict. Nevertheless labour had discovered the power of collective action.


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Photo Description : Silk Mill pub
Image Reference No. : DP-020601CITYINDUST-16
Date photo taken : 2nd June 2001
Other Information : This is the Silk Mill pub near the industrial museum.
To look at photograph taken at Night from here, Visit my night time photos page by clicking HERE

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