Postcard for the feast day of Saint Eloi
(Industrial Museum Collection, D10083-837, public domain)
Postcard with a photographed image of a train driver and locomotive. This type of card was sent on the occasion of the feast day of Saint Eloi, the patron saint of railways. The postcard was published around 1950 by Editions Superluxe.
Handwritten poster to wish employees a happy new year
(Industrial Museum Collection, D10407-008, copyrighted)
Information poster with New Year's wishes signed by Robert Van de Putte, Technical Director of UCO Desmet-Guequier. Because the first migrant workers were not yet proficient in the Dutch language, the message is written in various languages.
Transport during camp for girls with disabilities organized by VKSJ
(Industrial Museum Collection, F02422, in copyright - unknown rightsholder)
In 1971, a bus from textile company UCO NV provided transport for girls with disabilities during a camp organized by the Female Catholic Student Youth (VKSJ) within the framework of the Zonnewijzers. The camp presumably took place at the Proveniershuis in Poperinge, run by social organization De Lovie.
Celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Demeester knitwear factory
(Industrial Museum Collection, F10323-001, in copyright - unknown rights holder)
Female workers of the Gaston Demeester factory in Ghent at set tables. On Sunday, December 5, 1948, there was a thanksgiving mass and a solemn session to mark the 75th anniversary. On Monday, December 6, a banquet for staff and management followed.
Staff photo UCO Braun in Ghent
(Industrial Museum Collection, F10367-082, copyrighted)
A worker opens a gift in the middle of a group of female workers. Photo taken on the occasion of the retirement celebration of an employee of the weaving mill at the UCO EJ Braun textile factory on Maïsstraat, in the period 1985-2000.
Presentation of the Golden Boot to the company football team of train staff at Gent-Sint-Pieters station
(Industrial Museum Collection, F10931-007))
Interior view of the presentation of the first Golden Shoe at FC Howag in 1971, the football team founded by the Howag circle of friends of the train staff at Ghent-Sint-Pieters station. 'Howag' stands for 'Chief Guards and Guards of the Train Staff from Ghent-Sint-Pieters'. The celebration is taking place in Sint-Amandsberg. A few people are sitting around a table having a drink. The centerpiece is the Golden Shoe, which has been awarded annually ever since to the most deserving player of the football team.
Regulations regarding compensation for statutory public holidays
(Industrial Museum Collection, V37153-005, public domain)
Framed Regulations regarding the Remuneration of Statutory Public Holidays of 1947, in the sector of the Regional Joint Committee for Fiber Companies in East and West Flanders.
Interview with Faruk Köse about his work in the Ghent textile industry
Excerpt from the interview with Marieke De Baerdemaeker with Faruk Köse as part of the project 'Their work, their life. Testimonies from the Ghent textile world 1950-2010' from 2017. (Industrial Museum Collection, AU00001-020, copyrighted - non-commercial use permitted)
Faruk Köse (b. 1948) grew up in Emirdağ, Turkey. When he finished secondary school, he learned through a friend of his father that there was plenty of work to be found in Belgium. At the age of 17, Faruk left for Brussels with his friend Mehmet, despite his father's warning about the hard work that awaited him.
Upon arriving in Brussels, Faruk and Mehmet stay for two days in a house with ten other Turks. Afterwards, they travel to Ghent, where they are promised work in the textile industry.
After arranging the necessary paperwork, they started working together at the UCO de Hemptinne spinning mill in 1965. Faruk's father's warning soon became a reality. The work was hard, but Faruk persevered. Four years later, it was time for his military service, and Faruk headed to Turkey.
After two years, he returns to Belgium married, where he moves in with his wife. In the meantime, UCO de Hemptinne has closed its doors, and Faruk follows his former personnel director to UCO Filature Nouvelle Orléans. Due to the introduction of a new system in the factory, the pace of work is too fast for him, and he decides to transfer to the Fabelta textile factory. The work here suits him better.
After two years, the chemical substances used by Fabelta become too much for Faruk, and he starts working at the SEP plastics factory. He enjoys working there, but after a financial crisis the factory experiences, Faruk is laid off along with 41 other colleagues after a five-year career.
From then on, in 1978, Faruk took the step towards self-employment. Until his retirement in 2007, he ran a café, a bakery, and subsequently a grocery store.
In this excerpt, he talks about how, during his time as a worker at UCO de Hemptinne, he would meet up with his colleagues on weekends to go dancing, but also sometimes at each other's homes to eat together.
Interview with Marcel Scheirlinck about his work in the Ghent textile industry
Excerpt from the interview with Marieke De Baerdemaeker with Marcel Scheirlinck as part of the project 'Their work, their life. Testimonies from the Ghent textile world 1950-2010' from 2017. (Industrial Museum Collection, AU00001-013, copyrighted - non-commercial use permitted)
As a 14-year-old boy, Marcel Scheirlinck (b. 1931) joined the cleaning crew of the Desmet-Guequier NV textile factory. Later, he worked at the spinning mills. He worked his way up to become a bobbin hauler, responsible for transporting the bobbins throughout the factory, and eventually a foreman.
He soon met his wife at the factory, and they married in 1949. Their first daughter was born a year later, and they received a package of cotton products as a gift from the factory, which was more than welcome in the post-war years.
In 1950, Marcel began his military service, and when he was discharged two years later, he was able to start working as a foreman in the factory again. But Marcel was ambitious, and he set his sights on the job of foreman, a step up the ladder. Consequently, when the position became available, the disappointment was great when he missed out on the job because he was a trade union delegate. Consequently, he decided to leave the textile industry.
A seven-year career at a fruit wholesaler followed, where he worked twice as many hours as at the textile factory. Through an acquaintance, he eventually ended up at coffee trader Rombouts. There, too, Marcel worked his way up, from sales representative to district manager, before retiring at the age of 55.
In this clip, Marcel talks about how he became friends with his colleagues and how they cycled to Ghent together every day in 'the UCO peloton'.
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