Louise Walsh

Walsh spent over a month in the factory drawing the women at their work , attempting to cover every stage of the shirt making process. The drawings were exhibited in the canteen of the City Factory and in the Orchard Gallery.

Available Resources was an artist led project organised by Brian Connelly and Brian Kennedy, supported and administered by the Orchard Gallery.

Derry has a strong history of Shirt factory industry stretching back to the late 1700s. The cultural and social development of Derry centred on a predominantly female labour force. Over the last fifty years the industry has gone into decline and in 1991 City Factory was one of the last big shirt factory remaining in the city, it has since closed.

`The black and white photos at the factory were taken by Brendan Mc Menamin

Essay by Dr Slavka Sverakova and is from the Catalogue Available Resources 1991. Orchard Gallery press 
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      Walsh drawing on the factory floor,                                drawing Karen

                  Katie and drawing