Oldhams Mills Oldham Panorama Images from Gallery Oldham

Oldham’s Mills Oldham Panorama. Images from Gallery Oldham and Local Studies & Archives.

Oldham’s cotton industry is an important part of Oldham’s history. In Victorian times Oldham was the biggest cotton spinning town in the world! Oldham’s landscape was full of cotton mills. Some mills are still standing today. Wye Mill Number 2, Shaw, Crompton ACTIVITY: Draw a mill. Focus on the rectangular shape of the mills, their chimneys and their many windows! You could also make a 3 D mill using objects found around your home – get creative! Crompton panorama c. 1920

Cotton is a plant. It was grown in hot countries by slaves. Find out more about slavery here. Raw cotton (cotton boll) was brought to Oldham to be spun onto bobbins by mill workers – men, women and children – on machines made by local companies like Platt Brothers & Co. Raw cotton boll ACTIVITY: Mills were dangerous places. Find out about children working in the mills here. Hear a song about working in the mills here. Then create your own mill song! Workers at Chadderton Mill Bobbin

FURTHER RESEARCH: Gallery Oldham’s collection includes works by artists who portray Oldham’s mill scenes. Research Kevin Haynes, Helen Bradley, L. S Lowry and James Purdy online. You can use Art UK to help you (refine your artist search by ‘Gallery Oldham’ to discover the artworks in Gallery Oldham’s collection). Millbottom, James Purdy Share with us your mill drawings, mill sculptures and recordings or lyrics of your mill worker songs via email sophie. watt@oldham. gov. uk or social media: Gallery Oldham @Gallery. Oldham @galleryoldham