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Use Hearing Protection via The Hacienda at The Science and Industry Museum, courtesy of the Science and Industry Museum

How a Science Museum ended up with the history of Factory Records

Factory Records is a local and global music story. The label has been the subject of much of Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum’s (SIM) recent collection development and acquisitions program, and last year SIM put on an exhibition dedicated to the historical record label whose impact in music still resonates today. The exhibition, titled “Use Hearing Protection: The early years of Factory Records“, traced the independent label’s beginnings, fostering talent from a post-industrial towns in the north of England and single-handedly ushering in the post-punk movement of the late 70s and early 80s, paving the way for New Wave.
We go behind the scenes with SIM’s Archives Manager Jan Hicks on the curation of this exhibition and discuss the past, present and future of the museum’s Factory Records archive collections.

  1. ACR – Durutti Column – Blurt – Rafters concert poster. Poster to promote A Certain Ratio and Durutti Column show at Rafters, Manchester, August 21st, supported by Blurt, 1980

    © Jon Savage. Collection/Owner: Benedict and Laura Gretton. Image courtesy of Jon Savage / Lent by Benedict Gretton, Laura Gretton and Lesley Gilbert

  2. Kim Philby Reappears poster. Poster designed by Jon Savage advertising Joy Division, A Certain Ratio and Section 25 for show at New Osbourne Club – Fac for City Funds.

    Poster designed by Jon Savage advertising Joy Division, A Certain Ratio and Section 25 for show at New Osbourne Club – Fac for City Funds.

    © Jon Savage. Photo courtesy of Jon Savage

  3. Night Shifts to the Factory

    Photomontage flyer designed by Linder for The Factory night

    © Linder Sterling. Photo courtesy of the artist Linder

  1. Durutti Column/Situationists promotional poster for The Factory, 1978

    First piece of publicity material commissioned by Anthony Wilson. This black and white poster was produced on the landing of a block of flats in Mersey Mansions and posted around the City as an abstract promotion for The Factory.

    © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum. Science Museum Group Collection. Photo courtesy of the Science and Industry Museum

  2. Durutti Column concert poster. Poster to promote Durutti Column show at Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester, December 14

    Poster to promote Durutti Column show at Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester, December 14 1979.

    © Jon Savage. Photo courtesy of the Science and Industry Museum

  3. Poster designed by Jon Savage and Tony Wilson for Factory gigs

    © Jon Savage / Oliver Wilson / Isabel Wilson. Courtesy of Jon Savage, Oliver Wilson and Isabel Wilson. Photo courtesy of Jon Savage, Oliver Wilson and Isabel Wilson

One of the things that I wanted to do with Use Hearing Protection was to promote that idea of Factory being a really forward-looking, futuristic organization who were trying to do something different.

Acknowledging the historical and industrial past of the city, using that heritage to kick-start something new, and for us as a museum is fundamental to what we do. What we want to do when we get these massive collections together is to find those new stories that help Manchester to move forward as a cultural city, to not just be mired in its heritage, but to use it to move forward.

Jan Hicks