Actually, the NCR factory was far ahead of its time for taking care of its employees. It was labourious work but the factory had showers for the employees as well as a private park for the families. Books have been written of the advances they had over other industries. I knew one man who worked at the factory around 1910 who told me they paid him each week from a horse drawn pay wagon. It was a five dollar gold piece and some change.

Jeez, what dreary, soul-deadening work. I find this picture highly depressing.

I have actually posted several comments on this forum that have never got past the moderator. Guess I will try one more time.

None of these people could stop their wheel. It all ran on one shaft.

In Dayton in the winter the windows would have been closed due to the cold weather.

I worked at a business that made feeder bowls (many won't know what that is). These things had to be polished. At the end of the day even in the summer when the doors and windows were open and bunches of fans blowing you left with black stuff running out your nose. Not uncommon for someone to tell you that you had black buggers that you werent even aware of.

Gald I didn't work there very long.

Amazing that those polishing wheels are connected to one drive shaft on each side of what looks like a very long building. Wondering if each worker has a way of disengaging his own wheel at any particular moment. Surely each wheel can be stopped at times when needed.

I am going to assume the photographer was able to ask the workers closest to the camera to stop moving for a 2 seconds. And everyone else moved about as per natural in their work flow. Or perhaps it is a double exposure due to the low light. A longer exposure for all of the equipment when no one is present and then a shorter exposure later with humans in place? Nice to see there was at least a basic ventilation system in place. Still I bet they coughed up a lot of brass dust at night.

those drive belts look a bit vicious. . .

One thing that is fascinating are the dancing light fixtures. The movement must be caused by the breeze coming in the open windows. For the time, it looks like a fairly comfortable workplace - except for standing all day.

Clearly the line is not running. Despite the slow, ghosting shutter, you can see the hex nut on the wheel of the third worker, and following the belt up you see a frayed lacing splice not moving.

Looks to me like the line shaft is stopped. The shafting and sheaves would have been blurred had the line been running. Even the hex nut on the third station back can be seen clearly. Pre OSHA, but there is, at least, some ductwork to exhaust the dust. Also looks like all the parts for each register are collected in the wood boxes for later assembly. Henry Ford could have streamlined this operation!