PICTURES: New exhibition to highlight Fife women at work through the decades

From pitheads to offices and hospitals to the factory floor, the work of women in Fife in the 20th century is being celebrated this week.

The Women at Work project will share fascinating images online from local photography collections. ONFife Libraries will also be making reading recommendations, and the public are being invited to join in a simultaneous viewing of the documentary film Her Century: Scottish Women in Film on Thursday evening.

The film, which was premiered recently by the National Library of Scotland in partnership with Film Hub Scotland, is a curated collection of archive films that explore the major social changes Scottish women have faced in the past 100 years.

There will also be a post-film chat with ONFife local studies officer Sara Kelly.

Michelle Sweeney, ONFife’s director of creative development, said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating the working lives of women during the last century and it also gives us a great opportunity to share some of the terrific archive material that is such a rich resource for the people of Fife.”

Kirkcaldy nurses: Trainee nurses in the class of 1978-79 at the School of Midwifery, Kirkcaldy.

Stratheden nurses: Working with a smile at Stratheden Hospital near Cupar in the 1970s.

Glenrothes sewing: Women working on the shopfloor at the Ali Elephant Ltd factory in Glenrothes, in the 1970s.

Dunfermline Clinic: Children are treated at the Andrew Carnegie-funded Dunfermline Carnegie Clinic by nurses who had most probably trained at the world-renowned Dunfermline College of Hygiene (date unknown).

Dunfermline store:  Shop assistants at work in this Dunfermline store, with its beautifully stacked jumpers and wool, back in the day when, as the sign on the counter advertises, you could have your hosiery repaired (date unknown).

Jenny Gray Pithead: Back in the 1930s and 40s women, as pictured here at Jenny Gray Pit near Kelty, would work at the pithead sorting and grading the coal, a hard dirty job. Interestingly, the woman on the left is wearing different shoes and clothes so is possibly an office worker.