Steel, strikes and spider-men: Steel erectors and the Daily Herald
Throughout the 20th century cities grew—into suburbs and skywards. This story looks at the materials, workers and technologies that enabled new possibilities for urban expansion.
Daily Herald Photograph: Steel erector at work Daily Herald Photograph: Steel erector at work (1949-11-16)National Science and Media Museum
Steel erectors. Spider-men. Suicide squads.
were all terms used to describe the trade with the highest accident rates in the building industry. These men constructed steel frameworks for skyscrapers and other major infrastructure projects. Their work helped to transform Britain's urban landscapes
Daily Herald Photograph: Steel erector at work Daily Herald Photograph: Steel erector at work (1962-09-19) by Burton, RonNational Science and Media Museum
These photographs were originally taken for the Labour-affiliated Daily Herald newspaper (1912–64), which published many of these images alongside stories advocating for labour reforms.
Iro Steel BessemerLIFE Photo Collection
Mass producing steel
Our story begins with engineer Henry Bessemer, who introduced an experimental smelting process in 1856. By blowing air directly into molten pig iron, he bonded oxygen with carbon impurities. The result? Pure iron and the potential to mass produce high-quality steel.
Daily Herald Photograph: 74-ton steel plate girderNational Science and Media Museum
Steel frame architecture
The architectural applications were incredible. Bolting, riveting and welding together ‘steel structural members’ created possibilities for stronger, taller structures on increasingly large scales.
In 1965, this 74-ton mild steel plated I-beam was the largest girder in Britain.
Daily Herald Photograph: 3 steel erectors study a building planNational Science and Media Museum
Workers
New materials and construction techniques required skilled labourers. We don’t know much about the workers featured in this series of uncaptioned photos. Nevertheless, they provide a glimpse of the range of tasks undertaken by steel erectors.
Tasks like reading building plans...
... positioning steel structural members...
... and bolting and riveting structural members together.
Daily Herald Photograph: Steel erector tightening bolts on a building frameNational Science and Media Museum
Worker safety
Such tasks are far from ordinary when accomplished high above a city street without a safety net.
Workers rely on each other for help. Dropping even a small tool—like the wrench in this photograph—could be fatal to those working below.
The precarity of a steel erector’s work is emphasised in this photo of the framework for a new telephone exchange at Tottenham Court Road, London.
Tools
Built from glass, steel and aluminium, the Cooperative Insurance Society (CIS) Tower in Manchester was briefly the tallest building in the UK. Completed in 1962, it is 387ft (118m) tall. Here, cranes and derricks provide a necessary assist for finishing the top six storeys.
Scotch derricks
This Scotch derrick, also known as a stiffleg derrick, comprises a boom arm attached to the base of a mast and secured with two ‘stifflegs’ that are resistant to both tensile and compressive force. Steel sills—horizontal members—connect the stifflegs to the mast.
Daily Herald Photograph: Spidermen erecting a Scotch Derrick in ManchesterNational Science and Media Museum
Scotch derricks are favoured for building in urban areas and on jobs that require lift capacity over lengthy periods of time. But getting one into place is no small feat! The seven-ton jib-arm must be hoisted from ground level by another crane and positioned by steel erectors.
Daily Herald Photograph: Two spidermen feeding cable through the arm of a Scotch DerrickNational Science and Media Museum
Cold, wind and rain all make jobs like feeding cable through the jib-arm of a Scotch derrick fraught with risks. This crane is located on the 19th floor of the CIS Tower.
Daily Herald Photograph: Steel erector at workNational Science and Media Museum
Valuing workers
Here, hard-hat-wearing Tony O’Donoghue faces the camera and makes a case for industry reforms that prioritise worker safety. As well as documenting how 20th-century cities were shaped, images from the Daily Herald serve as reminders of the dangers faced by those who work on high.
All images are from the Science Museum Group collection. Copyright Mirrorpix, Hulton Archive/Getty Images, and TopFoto.
