After 2 months of research into the history of Heanor’s industrial past, I can now share with you my vision for the gateway sculpture and the research that has inspired it.
Part 1. I & R Morleys and Heanor Library.
In Heanor, the mining industry has been widely represented in the form of Mining wheels around the area, so I particularly wanted to look into the link with the textile industry which came from I & R Morleys.
My research began with the local library which gave me a good base to start with in the form of images of Morley’s, newspaper clippings and a book written by the local history society.
I & R Morley arrived in Heanor in 1874 employed an estimated 15% of the local population making hosiery and other textiles. It was one of the first companies in the world to sew a label into their products, which began with a label featuring the letter M.
The company trade mark, know as the flying wheel, became widely known and features a pair of wings and a wheel in the centre.
Further reading into the history of Heanor can be found in ‘A Portrait of Heanor & District’ by Heanor & District Local History Society.