During the First World War (1914–1918), women stepped into countless forms of labor that had traditionally been performed by men, filling critical gaps left by those who had gone to fight. Across Europe and beyond, they worked in munitions factories, producing the weapons and ammunition essential to the war effort. They took jobs in railways, shipyards, construction, and engineering, proving their ability to handle physically demanding and often dangerous work.
In agriculture, women replaced absent male farmworkers, ensuring that food production continued despite wartime shortages. They also engaged in transport and logistics, driving trams, buses, and even ambulances. Their presence in these industries marked a dramatic shift in the workforce and challenged existing notions of gender roles.
Although many women were pushed back into domestic life after the war ended, their contributions as labourers during the conflict demonstrated resilience, strength, and capability—helping pave the way for long-term social and political change, including the expansion of women’s rights.
These images belong to the Parsons’ ‘Women Labourers’ photo album, taken at Parsons’ Works on Shields Road during the First World War. The factory was founded by engineer Charles Parsons, best known for his invention of the steam turbine. In 1914, with the outbreak of war, Parsons’ daughter Rachel, one of the first three women to study engineering at Cambridge, replaced her brother on the board of directors, and took on a role in the training department of the Ministry of Munitions, supporting the increasing amount of women taking on jobs in industry to support the war effort.
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| Brazing blades, 1914–18 |
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| Drilling cylinder blade stops, 1914–18 |
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| Filling out brush boxes, 1914–18 |
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| Forming up blading |
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| Insulating end connections, 1914–18 |
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| Insulating stator end windings, 1914–18 |
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| Magnet formite insulating blocks, 1914–18 |
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| Making micanite sheets, 1914–18 |
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| Milling rotor wedges, 1914–18 |
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| Milling slots in mirror ring, 1914–18 |
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| Radiusing ends of slots in mirror ring, 1914–18 |
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| Slotting machine, 1914–18 |
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| Straightening blade strips, 1914–18 |
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| Turning flanges, 1914–18 |
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| Turning high for piston rings, 1914–18 |
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| Working out lathe, 1914–18 |
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| Working shaping machine, 1914–18 |
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