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Crown & Jersey Laundry, Brook Road South, 1933

The 100 or so employees are sitting outside the Crown & Jersey Laundry, 62 Brook Road South Brentford, in 1933. In 1914 this was operating as the 'Royal Jersey Laundry', owned by William HARWOOD.

The employees are mainly women, mostly dressed in gleaming white v-necked overalls or pinafores, some sleeveless, others long-sleeved, over their clothes. There is also a group of eight women (including two sitting at the front on a mat) who have dresses with white collars: perhaps they worked in the offices? A ninth woman in this group has a different style of dress with buttons: as she is in the centre, front, perhaps she had a supervisory job? Sandals and some short sleeves indicate the photo was taken during the summer months.

Eight men employees are standing together: they may have worked on the machines used in the laundry.

Ena, elder sister to Lynn, worked at the laundry herself for a short time in the late 1940's and the person in charge then was a Mrs FORTESCUE, who had been employed there for a long time. Sandra Graves spotted her aunt Mary GRANT in the photo: 'Mary Grant was married to my uncle Tom Grant, she is the fouth lady from the left and she used to take her little boy Ian Grant with her when she went to work'. Derek Birch writes: 'Two of our family are in the picture, my grandmother Amy BIRCH (née Amy GEORGE) and my great aunt, her sister, Emily SMITH (née Emily George). Emily is sitting first on the left and Amy is 11th from the left in the first standing row'. Derek also sent a copy of the photo, with Amy Birch and Emily Smith marked, and some details of his George family. If you would like a larger version of the photo in order to see more detail, please send an email. Lynn has kindly provided access to the full size image. Published March 2009; updated July 2010 Top