All manner of items were once painstakingly made by hand, even items that were being produced en masse. In the 1960s many everyday items, despite being made in the thousands or millions, were still crafted largely by human hands. Flash forward a few decades and the use of automated processes and plastics changed that aspect in most industries.

Inside a flower factory of the era their products were still made the old-fashioned way. Fabric flower petals and leaves were cut, shaped, formed, and glued by hand. This operation in Edgware, England, was started all the way back in the 1860s. The closest they came to automated manufacture was compression machines and stamps (applied by hand) for coloration patterns. Have a look at the cotton flower ladies and the fascinating process behind flower making. Watch the fun 1966 newsreel from British Pathé in the clip below.

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