Rare photos of Rugby's industrial powerhouse go on display

British Thomson-Houston (BTH) in Pictures opens at the Little Elborow Street venue next month, featuring photos taken at the industrial giant's works in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.

While the majority of the BTH collection of glass plate and cyanotype photographs has now been archived at the Institution of Engineering and Technology in London, a number of plates and cyanotypes were donated to Rugby Art Gallery and Museum in 2010.

After securing funding from Arts Council England, the art gallery and museum launched a restoration project in 2022, later working with museum volunteers and apprentices at GE Vernova - which now operates from the former BTH site - to clean, rebox, catalogue and digitise the collection.

Now, the restored photos take centre stage in BTH in Pictures, which opens at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum on Wednesday 7 October.

The photos show BTH staff at work, site buildings and product shots. Many of the cyanotypes were taken during the 1940s, when the works ramped up production during the Second World War, manufacturing radar and missiles for the war effort.

BTH was established in Rugby in 1902 by American firm, General Electric, manufacturing generators and electric motors before expanding production to include heavy industrial turbines, turbo alternators and light bulbs.

Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) bought the company in 1928 but it kept trading under the BTH brand until 1960. At its peak, the company had a 20,000-strong workforce in the town.

The BTH works were home to the development of the world's first prototype jet engine in 1937, built by Sir Frank Whittle's Power Jets Company.
A decade later, Hungarian scientist Dennis Gabor invented holography at the BTH site.

Cllr Maggie O'Rourke, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for partnerships, health and wellbeing, said the success of BTH - combined with the rapid growth of the railway network - turned Rugby into an industrial powerhouse of the early 20th century.

"At one point, everyone who lived in Rugby knew someone who worked for BTH, or later AEI or the General Electric Company (GEC), creating an industrial legacy which remains present in the town today," Cllr O'Rourke added.

"This collection of rare photos from the BTH archives offers a fascinating trip down memory lane for older visitors, while later generations can discover how Rugby played a vital part in the industrial boom which shaped Britain."

BTH in Pictures runs at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum's local history gallery until October 2027.

Cllr Neil Sandison, Rugby Borough Council's Liberal Democrat group spokesperson for partnerships, health and wellbeing, said: "For many of our older resident engineers and their apprentices, this will be like time travelling into the past and a reminder of their contribution to the development of a quality engineering company in the town."

For more information about exhibitions and events at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, visit www.ragm.co.uk