Photograph of Duncan's Chocolate Factory, 1918

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

52269

Title

Sepia photograph of factory workers in the main packing hall at Duncan's Chocolate factory, c.1918

Description

One sepia photograph mounted on card (unmarked) of Duncan's chocolate factory on Beaverhall Road, Edinburgh. General view of factory floor, with female workers at long workbenches with various equipment, and stacks of trays of walnut whip chocolates. In the background are a two men, one in a workcoat, the other in a suit (presumably a manager).

Accession number

HH5230/4/90

W. & M. Duncan originally started trading in Dundee, but moved to Edinburgh in the 1880s, and had their factory at the Regent Confectionary Works on Beaverhall Road. Their lasting legacy is the walnut whip, now owned by Nestle. By the 1980s, Duncans had been bought by various other businesses and had moved away from Edinburgh. It specialised in making chocolates for use in the armed forces. The name Duncan"s of Edinburgh was revived for a short while for the Ministry of Defence during the First Gulf War.
In contrast to the male-dominated printing profession, the images here show how many women worked in Duncan"s warehouses, packing rooms and accountancy offices.

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Photograph of Duncan's chocolate factory, 1918