This film is part of Free

Employees Leaving Tangyes Engineering Works, Smethwick (1901)
Exuberant scenes of engineers and machinists at the famous Cornwall works near Birmingham.
Overview
In 1901, Tangyes' was a respected engineering company, specialising in hydraulic systems, having risen to fame after making the lifting-jack that launched Brunel's SS Great Eastern. In sharp close-up, the dust and grease smeared on the clothes and grinning faces of the men are almost tangible. Youthful chaos and cheeky nose-thumbing at the camera suggest a relaxed and happy workplace.
Related

Workforce of Parkgate Iron and Steel Co., Rotherham (1901) Workforce of Parkgate Iron and Steel Co., Rotherham (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 3 mins Silent Location: Rotherham
Edwardian workers react to the camera at one of Rotherham's major employers.

North Sea Fisheries, North Shields (1901) North Sea Fisheries, North Shields (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 2 mins Silent Location: North Shields
Girls gut herring on the quay at North Shields while a Showman tries to stir up trouble.

Miners Leaving Pendlebury Colliery (1901) Miners Leaving Pendlebury Colliery (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 1 mins Silent Location: Pendlebury
A black miner makes an intriguing addition to an already captivating film of coal workers up from their pit.

Workforce Leaving Alfred Butterworth and Sons, Glebe Mills, Hollinwood (1901) Workforce Leaving Alfred Butterworth and Sons, Glebe Mills, Hollinwood (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 1 mins Silent Location: Hollinwood
A flood of Lancashire cotton workers and their children at the end of another shift.

Workers Leaving the Jute Works, Barrow (1902) Workers Leaving the Jute Works, Barrow (1902)
Non-Fiction 1902 2 mins Silent Location: Barrow-In-Furness
A cheerful, largely female crowd makes their way home from work.

Workers at Kynoch Ltd Lion Works, Birmingham (1901) Workers at Kynoch Ltd Lion Works, Birmingham (1901)
Non-Fiction 1901 4 mins Silent Location: Birmingham
A rich impression of a vibrant Midlands works, in an unusually elaborate 'factory gate' film.

Wheelchair Access Wheelchair Access
Magazine and Review show 1981 7 mins Location: Selly Oak
From Selly Oak to Birmingham's Head Post Office in a wheelchair - how hard could it be?

New Fifty Pence Piece New Fifty Pence Piece
News 1969 2 mins Location: Birmingham
Don't become a victim of the new fifty penny piece!

Arthur Dooley Arthur Dooley
News 1971 8 mins Location: Birmingham
A middle class designed city with no style - Arthur Dooley pulls no punches in Birmingham.

Decent Place with Hot and Cold Decent Place with Hot and Cold
Documentary 1970 27 mins Location: Birmingham
An impressively stark documentary study of Birmingham slums - past and present.

Pakistani Bus Driver Pakistani Bus Driver
News 1974 2 mins Location: Birmingham
Bus timetables are sacrosanct to some but to others there are more important things in life - and faith is one of them.

Indian Businessman Indian Businessman
News 1975 4 mins Location: Leicester
He arrived in Britain with Β£3 and went on to become one of the richest business men in the Midlands. How did Amrat Parmar do it?

On Falling - Exclusive Q&A On Falling - Exclusive Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
Writer-director Laura Carreira talks to Nia Childs about her debut feature, On Falling.

Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.

All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.

Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.

Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.

Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of childrenβs palliative care.