The visit to the living museum of the west this week was inspiring and a little intimidating. I was very intrigued by the number of resources that they have at the museum, particularly as far as archival footage: VHS tapes, cassette tapes and photo negatives. The museum was not what I expected, but in a good way, I think because it is so community-based. In some ways, I would also consider it to be more of a library. The amount of work and care that has gone into the museum is truly inspiring.

The visit has helped my ideas about my potential project develop. I have found myself drawn to the industrial labour history of the western suburbs, particularly the meat industry. The conditions of this kind of factory labour is a definite point of interest. I think I am also intrigued by what the legacy of these industries are and how the working class history of the era has carried over into today.

I think these themes could also cross over into other potential topics – the Westgate bridge, the ammunition industry and unionisation. I think I’m interested in this area just because I have a lot of respect for working-class origins and think there are important stories to be told here.

I was also very interested when the museum curators were telling us about Sven Lindqvist and his text ‘Dig Where You Stand’. I have had a look online and found Lindqvist’s journal article, in which he writes that there was quite a lack of information on industrial companies/factories even in his home country in Sweeden. He observed that the history of these companies was reserved for “the owners and directors” (p. 24, 1979) but felt that the stories of the workers should be told.

This got me thinking about examples which showcase the lives of the workers. I did a quick YouTube search and came across this Vice documentary ‘Permanently Temporary” The Truth About Temp Labor’. While not related to the industrial labour I am looking into, it is an interesting contemporary example online which exposes the labour conditions around temporary employment.

I’m really looking forward to diving in and exploring the museum and honing in on potential subjects and resources for a project.

References

Lindqvist, S 1979 ‘Dig Where You Stand’, Oral History 7, no. 2, pp. 24 – 30. Available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40178565. [Accessed July 28 2018]

Permanently Temporary: The Truth About Temp Labor (Full Length). (2014). [film] VICE News