Bankwerkerij op de Prinses Juliana School 1933

This black and white photograph shows an anonymous class of students in the Netherlands working with metal. We can see in this image the tools and processes used in the students' work, the benches, vices, and overhead lighting. All of these are important aspects of the process of metalworking. The benches and vices are essential for holding the metal in place while the students work on it, and the overhead lighting provides the necessary illumination for them to see what they are doing. The photograph is important because it shows how metalworking was taught in schools, and how the materials and processes used in the craft have evolved. It demonstrates a moment of learning and skill-building, set within the social context of education and labor. It is a reminder that the objects we use every day are often the result of skilled labor, and that the materials and processes used in their creation are an important part of their history.