Salts Mill

A walk in and around Salts Mill this afternoon, and then the adjoining village of Saltaire, all the work of Victorian industrialist Titus Salt. With Lord (William) Lever at Port Sunlight and George and Richard Cadbury at Bourneville Titus Salt was concerned to ensure that his workers were well housed and schooled, and that if ill there were health facilities where they could be treated. He and they also had a view on how their workers should live - temperance was one foundation for a good life, as was Christianity. A kind of precursor of the welfare state.

Salts Mill has a lot of David Hockney’s work on display (Bradford born, but also a good mate of Jonathan Silver who rescued and converted the Mill). I really loved though the photographs of local photographer Ian Beesley, some of which occupy the space in the image. I got a real feel for the city and its people looking at them (and reading the accompanying text). And I loved too the way in which the mill has been converted internally, it was obviously a labour of love, and a triumph.

A few temporary photos in extras.