About
British Industrial Archives is a contemporary visual record of manufacturers operating across the British Isles.
British Industrial Archives celebrates the processes, people and places behind the products still being made in Britain today.
Founder, photographer Carmel King has been documenting behind the scenes of businesses, for the past two decades. Inspired by her own family’s three-generation textile firm. Carmel is passionate about capturing the skills, stories and histories of the country’s makers and manufacturers. Her images highlight the dedication and enduring legacy of heritage brands alongside innovative, modern manufacturers.
From foundries and tanneries, to bicycle workshops, textile mills and bell foundries, Carmel has travelled the country documenting the makers of jeans, scissors, wigs, globes, pottery, glass eyes, surgical instruments, ballet shoes and more. Her photographs are rich in details, revealing not only the precision of skilled hands and intricate machinery but also the characters that run these businesses and the textures and atmospheres of the workspaces themselves.
Carmel has published two books Made in London and Made in Gloucester which capture the everyday details of factory life and celebrates the huge plethora of products still being made in British towns and cities.
British Industrial Archives showcases these manufacturers and preserves their stories for years to come.
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