The morning
comes in silver.
Workers sort the catch by size and condition. Speed matters: fresh fish and a busy quay set the pace for the rooms beyond.
Object study: shallow landing crateThe Tin ArchiveSardines, labor & the packing line
An illustrated industrial history
An illustrated industrial history
Packed
by hand.
A small metal box carries a much larger story. Follow a sardine through an imagined coastal cannery, from the quay to the sealed tin.
The morning
Many hands.
A practiced rhythm.
Preparation, washing and cooking methods varied between factories and periods. The packing table depended on skilled, repetitive handwork.
Object study: preparation benchA little
silver tessellation.
Fish are fitted closely into the tin. An alternating arrangement makes economical use of the space while keeping the contents presentable.
Object study: an unsealed flat tinSealed.
Carried. Remembered.
Seaming, thermal processing and inspection complete the product. Labels travel far; the names of the people on the line often do not.
Object study: finished export tinsAn archive of gestures
This is a composed narrative of a traditional packing line. The drawings interpret tools and work processes; they do not reproduce a particular factory or collection.
The label isn’t the whole story
Industrial archives become richer when they include workers’ voices, wage books, shifts, recipes and everyday objects alongside finished packaging.
4stations between a working harbor and the kitchen shelf