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Summary

Industrial film showing the production of wool garments by the Co-op at the Nelson Mills works at Leek in Staffordshire.

Year:

1961

Duration:

0:18:03

Film type:

Colour / Sound

Genre:

Industrial

Company:

Anglo Scottish Pictures Ltd

Master format:

16mm

Description

The film opens with views of sheep in Australia being herded and then sheared. We then see the unwashed wool being sorted at a Co-operative Society plant in Bradford. Continuing with scenes in the Bradford works we see the wool being washed and then fed into a carding machine. It is stored in bales and then dyed and drawn to reduce its thickness. The prepared wool is then seen being delivered to the Co-operative Society factory at Leek (Nelson Mills). A series of production processes are shown beginning with a woman winding the wool onto cones or bobbins and then knitting machines in use including one controlled by a jacquard. We see design work underway for the group's Leeknit and Lanfield branded knitwear garments and then views of pattern marking and cutting being carried out by hand. Next in the research department wool is tested for strength before we return to the factory area to see women applying details to garments including button holes and buttons. We then see activities at the Co-operative Society's 'making up department' at Hanley in Staffordshire where hand sewing takes place. Finally the film ends with men, women and children modelling various knitwear items whilst looking at machines in the factory.


Credits

No credits specified


Notes

The commentary talks about the wool going from the sheep's back to the customer's which explains the film's title.