Ironbridge museums to celebrate women's history in the gorge this International Women's Day
Industrial women workers are being celebrated this weekend in Ironbridge museums.
To coincide with International Women’s Day on Friday, March 8 and Mother’s Day on Sunday, March 10, the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is hosting a weekend of events celebrating industrial women workers in the Ironbridge Gorge.
From Friday to Sunday, a special guided tour of Blists Hill will be led by the town's Victorian residents at 11.30am, inspired by women's history and the little-known role of women in the industries of the gorge.
At midday, the streets of the town will be brought to life at a suffragist rally where visitors can 'join in' the fight for votes for women.
Each day at Coalport China Museum from 11am to 12.30pm, curator Kate Cadman will give a special talk about the lives of women workers in Coalport in the 19th century.
Collections curator Kate Cadman said: “We know there is an appetite for learning about women’s history and are excited to be sharing stories about women workers in the Ironbridge Gorge this weekend.
"Tea drinking was originally associated with leisured ladies drinking their beverage from fine china, but we will also be looking at the stories of the women and girls in Coalport whose skills and hard work put beautiful ceramics on tea tables around the world.
"Visitors to Blists Hill Victorian Town will learn about women including the ‘Shroppies’ who worked above ground at the mines.”
Visitors will learn about the contrast between the lives of these women and of their wealthy counterparts who used the exquisite tea services they made. There will also be the opportunity to see demonstrators at work keeping traditional skills alive.
