{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O239211"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O239211/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JD4582/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JD4582/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JD4582","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019LJ2184","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O239211","accessionNumber":"E.3733-2007","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Balancing a Ship Propeller","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Maurice Broomfield (1916-2010) worked to photograph the changing face of British manufacturing industries during the 1950s and 1960s.  His photographs are recognized for their uniquely modern design elements, humanist strain, and their contribution to the documentation of the rebirth of British industry in the post war era.","physicalDescription":"A silver gelatin print of a worker handling a ship's propeller","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Broomfield, Maurice","id":"A25870"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Silver gelatin print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"Scotland","id":"THES262877"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2016JD4582","2019LJ2184"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"DR","shelf":"13","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Glasgow","id":"x28891"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":"Bull’s Metal and Marine Shipyard, Glasgow, Scotland"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1956","earliest":"1956-01-01","latest":"1956-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.3757-2007","id":"O243086"},"association":"Duplicate"},{"object":{"text":"E.3754-2007","id":"O243087"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"PROV.15694:15-2018","id":"O1464302"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"Given by the artist","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"606","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"paper","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"504","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"paper","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Signed Maurice Broomfield","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph by Maurice Broomfield, 'Balancing a Ship Propeller', 1956, gelatin silver print, printed about 1995","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Glasgow","id":"x28891"},{"text":"Scotland","id":"x29130"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"ship","id":"AAT82981"},{"text":"propeller","id":"AAT212833"},{"text":"shipbuilding","id":"AAT247448"},{"text":"shipyards","id":"AAT403"},{"text":"worker","id":"AAT25886"},{"text":"engineer","id":"AAT25063"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"industrial location","id":"AAT55466"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"<b>Maurice Broomfield: Industrial Sublime, Gallery 100 (2021-2022)</b>\n\nBalancing a Ship Propeller\r\nand page from job reference book\r\n1956–60\n\r\nBroomfield noted, ‘This, I feel, is one of the most beautiful and tactile pieces of industrial sculpture …. The buffing marks, I thought, added a lot to the picture. They were also final signatures on a work of industrial art.’ He also described the worker’s skill: ‘The correct pitch of a propeller is vital for the comfort of passengers on prestigious cruise ships. The prospect of having one’s cocktail continuously shaken is enough for some to cancel the trip.’\n\r\nBalancing a Ship Propeller\r\nBull’s Metal and Marine Shipyard, Yoker, Glasgow, Scotland\r\n1956\r\nGelatin silver print, printed 1995\r\nMuseum no. E.3733-2007\n\r\nPage from job reference book\r\nAbout 1960\r\nGelatin silver prints\r\nGiven by the artist\r\nMuseum no. AAD/2010/13/188","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}},{"text":"Broomfield made his name as the premier photographer of post-war British industry.  From the 1950s until the 70s he was regularly commissioned by companies such as English Electric, Ford, Shell and Philips.\n\nBroomfield sought to elevate the figure of the worker.  Through careful composition and strong lighting his photographs create a sense of the drama and atmosphere of labour.  As manufacturing has turned to cheaper markets overseas, these photographs serve as a reminder of an important moment in Britain's industrial history.","date":{"text":"20/03/2012","earliest":"2012-03-20","latest":"2012-03-20"}}],"partNumbers":["E.3733-2007"],"accessionNumberNum":"3733","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2007,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Negative number","id":"THES50273"},"number":"M1014-1"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-17","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-08","availableToBook":false}}