Women's History

Comptometer Room, Stratford Cooperative Society 1914 BL22762

STRATFORD CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY, Maryland Street, Stratford, Greater London. Interior view of the Comptometer Room at Stratford Co-operative Society, showing girls and boys working on model 'E' compometers, manual calculating machines. The comptometer, invented in 1887 by American, Dor Felt, was the first successful manual calculating machine. The children in the photograph could be employed in work, with the school leaving age only being raised to 14 in the Education Act of 1918. Photographed by Harry Bedford Lemere, 1st July 1914.

© Historic England

Two women filling Sirocco roaster with coffee beans BL24300_001

CADBY HALL, Hammersmith Road, Hammersmith, Greater London. Two women filling a Sirocco roaster with coffee beans at the factory of J Lyons and Company. This photograph was taken for J Lyons and Company who purchased Cadby Hall, a former piano showroom and associated manufacturing buildings, in 1894. These women workers are contributing to the war effort. Photographed by Bedford Lemere & Co in July 1918.

© Historic England

Post Lady 1901 BB98_01839

This woman, working as a post lady, is emptying a post box at an unidentified location in Kerrier, Cornwall. Although it was relatively unusual for women to hold positions such as this at the time, it was not unknown, and many women were starting to campaign for equality through movements such as the suffragettes. Women over 21 achieved the vote in 1928, 27 years after this picture was taken. Photographed by Alfred Newton and Son, 1901.

© Historic England