Stork photo collection, 1868-1968 > About the collection
Around 25,000 (glass) negatives can be found in the Stork company archive, along with around 400 albums or collections of prints. The selection for The Memory consists of around 10,000 images in which both aspects of the collection - factory production and social life - receive generous attention.
Although all objects have been assigned a unique number, the structure as it was organized by the company photographers has been maintained. The recordings (negatives and photographs) were organized into series with names like Kettles, Machines, Pumps, Diesel Engines, etc. There is also a Miscellaneous series that isn't directly linked to a series of prints, but which has been used extensively for a series of albums named 'In and Around the Factory'. This was carefully documented until well into the 1950s, especially as long as glass negatives were still being used.
In later years, the organisation became less structured. There are for instance series of prints that aren't clearly related to negatives and vice versa, and some prints are lacking any form of description. In this later period, the collection also has a tendency towards presentations in subjects like 'A tour of the factory' or 'The construction of a petrol station'.
The selection of around 10,000 images has been ordered based on the newly assigned unique numbering system. Every number refers to a single negative or print. A print number can be recognised by the inclusion of an 'A' in the number.