Munition Worker Collection

Girls making cartridges for Enfield rifles at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, 1862. Creator: Unknown
Girls making cartridges for Enfield rifles at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, 1862. Our illustration was taken [at]...the Royal Laboratory Department...near the Plumstead marshes

Munitions Factory, Bridgeport, Connecticut, c1870s. Artist: Theodore R Davis
Munitions Factory, Bridgeport, Connecticut, c1870s. Machines speeded up production after the Civil War. Illustration from Adventures of America, 1857-1900, by John A Kouwenhoven

Women Workers for the War, c1914-1918, (c1920). Creator: Unknown
Women Workers for the War, c1914-1918, (c1920). Shell-making in one of the Scottish munition works. Women manufacturing shells in a factory during the First World War

Leaving the Munition Works, 1918, 1920. Artist: Winifred Knights
Leaving the Munition Works, 1918, 1920. From Londoners Then and Now As Pictured By Their Contemporaries, edited by Geoffrey Holme. [The Studio Ltd. London, 1920]

Male munitions workers in Engineering Shop, School of Building, Brixton, London, 1915. Men working at benches with belt driven machinery

Women munitions workers putting a coat of paint on aerial bombs, World War I, c1914-c1918

A munitions factory, World War I, 1917 (1938). Artist: Horace Walter Nicholls
A munitions factory, World War I, 1917 (1938). Munitions workers with shells in a warehouse at National Shell Filling Factory No 6 at Chilwell, Nottinghamshire

Girl munition workers at their lathes in a Scottish mill, c1914. By June 1917, roughly 80% of the weaponry and ammunition used by the British army during World War I was being made by munitionettes

The Czar, taken among the workmen at the great Putiloff Munition and Engineering Works, 1914
A photograph of the Czar, taken among the workmen at the great Putiloff Munition and Engineering Works at Petrograd, c1914. Tsar Nicholas II (1868?1918) visits the Putilov Works in Petrograd

His Majesty inspects the shells at Holmes and Co Ltd, Hull, Yorkshire, World War I, c1914-c1918. King George V visiting a munitions works. Stereoscopic card. Detail

Munitions factory, London, World War I, 1914-1918. Artist: Haua
Munitions factory, London, World War I, 1914-1918

Munitions factory workers, London, World War I, 1914-1918. Artist: Haua
Munitions factory workers, London, World War I, 1914-1918. Group portrait of workers in a factory producing bombs. The photographers shadow can be seen in the foreground

Moulding explosive gum cartridges, Isleten, near Fluelen, Switzerland, 1893. A print from the Illustrated London News, 7th January 1893

Packing cartridges into boxes at Isleten, near Fluelen, Switzerland, 1893. A print from the Illustrated London News, (7 January 1893)

Filling cartridges with dynamite powder at Isleten, near Fluelen, Switzerland, 1893. A print from the Illustrated London News, (7 January 1893)

Women manufacturing shell casings in a Russian factory, World War II, 1943

Young girls assembling machine guns in a Russian factory, 1943

German state munition factory, World War I, 1917. A woman working at a 125 ton grooving press. A photograph from Der Grosse Krieg in Bildern

Filling shrapnel shells in a British munitions factory, World War I, 1914-1918

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"Unsung Heroes: The Munition Workers of World War I" During the tumultuous years of 1914-1918, a silent army emerged on the home front - the munition workers. These brave individuals, both men and women, played an integral role in supporting their nations during one of history's most devastating conflicts. In c1914-c1918, women joined the workforce en masse as "Women Workers for the War. " In a powerful image captured by an unknown creator in c1920, we witness their determination and resilience. Leaving the Munition Works depicted by artist Winifred Knights showcases these women stepping out into a world forever changed by their contributions. Not to be overshadowed, male munitions workers also made significant strides. In Brixton's School of Building in London in 1915, they could be found laboring diligently in engineering shops. Their dedication and skill were vital to ensuring that ammunition production remained at full capacity. The war effort demanded every ounce of effort from its workers. Women munitions workers meticulously applied coats of paint on aerial bombs during World War I (c1914-c1918). This delicate task required precision and attention to detail as they prepared these deadly weapons for battle. Horace Walter Nicholls' artwork from 1938 transports us back to 1917 when a bustling munitions factory operated tirelessly amidst war-torn surroundings. This poignant depiction reminds us that even amidst chaos and destruction, ordinary people worked tirelessly behind closed doors to protect their nations. Scotland too had its share of dedicated individuals who answered the call for support. Girl munition workers operating lathes within Scottish mills demonstrated remarkable skill and adaptability during this time (c1914). Even beyond national borders, munition factories played crucial roles worldwide. The Putiloff Munition and Engineering Works became a hub of activity where Czar Nicholas II himself was photographed among workmen in 1914.