Synergy: Cotton Power House Legacy

Synergy: Cotton Power House Legacy

 an exhibition by Preston Threads

7th July – 27th August 2021

open 9am – 6pm

PR1 Gallery, Victoria Building, Victoria Road, Preston PR1 7HD

This exhibition reflects the legacy of the cotton mills, the impacts and imprints of the industry on the landscape, local communities, social structures, social history and how those have changed over time.

The mills were dire places to work and yet they inspired community, hard graft and companionship. They created great wealth for some and expanded towns at the expense of the people living in an environment described as a Hell on earth” by Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx. Manchester and the surrounding area became known as ‘Cottonopolis’ as it became the world’s first centre of mass production.

Preston Threads quest to produce an exhibition to honour the hard-working children, women and men, the buildings themselves, and the effects on the landscape, has been an 18 month journey from conception to fruition. Extensive personal research that has been taken over time, samples produced, collaborative group-working exercises, all of which will form part of the exhibition display, helping to give an insight into the true affection that has flourished within Preston Threads for their subject.