The Past at Work

The Past at Work

1980 1 Seasons
Documentary

The birth and development of the Industrial Revolution is explored by visiting factories, mines, and other industrial relics where the modern world was made -- not by statesmen and philosophers, but by men, women and children with dirt on their hands.

Seasons

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1. Before the Revolution

1980-03-25

The remains of the industrial revolution are still with us to visit, to enjoy and to interpret. But how did early industry begin? Anthony Burton visits a neolithic flint mine in N…

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2. Steam and the Pit

1980-04-01

Before raw materials and coal could be taken from deep mines, an engine for pumping out water had to be developed. Anthony Burton goes underground at Britain's first colliery muse…

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3. The New Iron Age

1980-04-08

The single greatest discovery of the industrial revolution was the ability to smelt iron using coke instead of charcoal and the development of casting and forging techniques to us…

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4. Spindle and Shuttle

1980-04-15

The spinner or weaver working on his own, at his own speed, gave way to mills sited to take advantage of water. These were superseded by factory towns dependent on cheap coal and …

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5. To Make a Teacup

1980-04-22

Demand for fine white and decorated pottery led to a search for new raw materials, the development of new processes, and encouraged new transport systems. Anthony Burton looks at …

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6. The Venice of England

1980-04-29

The development and improvement of the British canal system is summed up by the Birmingham Canal Navigation. Birmingham has more miles of canal than Venice. Anthony Burton follows…

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7. Steam on the Move

1980-05-06

The success of the canals led to the development of rivals and vanquishers, the railways. The inadequate power of horses led to the use of stationary, then moving, steam engines a…

8. Railway Mania

1980-05-13

Anthony Burton travels from York through Leeds and Harrogate to discover more about Britain's industrial past and the role of railway companies in the 19th Century. Along the way,…

Top Cast

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Anthony Burton

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