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A black and white photo shows a group of eight people in a large kitchen. They are all smiling and looking at the camera. Most of the people are wearing white aprons and small caps on their heads. One person in the front is holding a small white card. On the left side of the room, there is a large window with many small panes of glass. On the right side, there is a big cooker and other kitchen tools.
A black and white photo shows a group of eight people in a large kitchen. They are all smiling and looking at the camera. Most of the people are wearing white aprons and small caps on their heads. One person in the front is holding a small white card. On the left side of the room, there is a large window with many small panes of glass. On the right side, there is a big cooker and other kitchen tools.

Women's Work at Pyrex

Photographs courtesy of Historic England Archive

Explore the hidden photographic histories of women’s work in 20th Century Sunderland. Photographer and researcher, Sophie Piper brings a brand new partnership project to Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens inspired by the work of Eileen ‘Dusty’ Deste.

This project aims to uncover stories of female workers in the Pyrex factory, shine a light on Deste’s work and make her photographs more discoverable in the Historic England archive. We would like to gain insight into women’s working lives in Sunderland and create a rich contextual landscape for Deste’s work to share and benefit generations to come.

Sophie Piper will be working to gather contextual information about Deste’s photographs – from insights into the jobs represented in the photographs to specific details about the work and processes. The project will be based on real testimonies of working life from those who spent time in the Pyrex factory and will culminate in a co-curated outdoor exhibition to be displayed in Sunderland city centre in Autumn 2026.

Get involved

 

Who is Dusty Deste?

Eileen ‘Dusty’ Deste was a commercial photographer from the 1920s – 1970s with a personal interest in documenting regional British industries. She travelled the country in a Land Rover, photographing industries from the South to the North of England. From tin mines in Cornwall and potteries in Staffordshire to the Pyrex Factory in Sunderland.

She visited the Pyrex factory in January 1961. She photographed both male and female employees working across the departments – from the office to the factory floor, laboratories to canteens.

Her photographs are a comprehensive photographic documentation of the company, guided by her own interests, not a commission. Her work brings a new visual narrative to an industry that has primarily been seen through the male gaze.

A portrait photograph of Dusty Deste. A black and white photo of a person sitting on the roof of a Land Rover. The person holds a camera and smiles. The car has a spare tyre on the front bonnet. In the background, there are brick houses and four very tall chimneys. Small clouds of smoke come out of the chimneys.
Zoom picture 1 of 5
A black and white photo shows a group of eight people in a large kitchen. They are all smiling and looking at the camera. Most of the people are wearing white aprons and small caps on their heads. One person in the front is holding a small white card. On the left side of the room, there is a large window with many small panes of glass. On the right side, there is a big cooker and other kitchen tools.
Zoom picture 2 of 5
A black and white photo shows people working in a factory. In the front, many glass bottles sit on a metal belt. Two people in white coats stand behind a wooden barrier. They look down at the bottles under a bright light. Other people work at tables further back. The rest of the room is dark.
Zoom picture 3 of 5
A black and white photo shows people working in a factory. In the front, two people sit at large machines. There are wooden boxes filled with many tall glass tubes. In the back, another person sits at a desk under a bright lamp. The walls are made of large stone blocks.
Zoom picture 4 of 5
A black and white photo shows people working in a factory. In the front, many glass bottles sit on a metal belt. Two people in white coats stand behind a wooden barrier. They look down at the bottles under a bright light. Other people work at tables further back. The rest of the room is dark.
Zoom picture 5 of 5

Get involved

We need you!

We’re looking for former female employees of Pyrex to help us expand and enrich the story of women’s work captured in Deste’s photographs.

If you’re interested in getting involved, fill out the form and Sophie will be in touch to invite you to a presentation to find out more about the project.

 

Sign up

 

More information

This project is led by photographer and researcher Sophie Piper, as part of her collaborative PhD at Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens – delivered in partnership with Historic England and the North East Photography Network, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Museum redevelopment project

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