Three ink sketches of volunteers at the Hampstead Gown Factory

Made:
2020 in Belsize Park
3 ink sketches of work at the Hampstead Gown Factory (HGF) 3 ink sketches of work at the Hampstead Gown Factory (HGF)

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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3 ink sketches of work at the Hampstead Gown Factory (HGF)
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

3 ink sketches of work at the Hampstead Gown Factory (HGF)
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London

3 ink sketches of work at the Hampstead Gown Factory (HGF) by HGF volunteer, Julie, as part of a Royal Free Charity volunteer project to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for key workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, London, 2020

During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was the only way for healthcare workers to protect themselves. A shortage of PPE dominated the first UK lockdown, with many key workers having to adapt existing materials or rely on volunteer pools.

One such pool was set up by the Royal Free Charity to provide surgical gowns for the Royal Free and Barnet hospitals. The self-titled Hampstead Gown Factory, based at Wac Arts in Hampstead, began making gowns from surgical drapes in April 2020.

Each morning and afternoon shift had 60 volunteers. Everyone had a set task such as sewing shoulder seams, cutting, checking, filling bobbins, quality control and packing. At peak productivity, 800 surgical gowns were made every day. Volunteers were regularly tested for COVID-19, completed a health check questionnaire and had their temperature checked on arrival, as well as observing social distancing.

Overall, 614 volunteers made 50,000 surgical gowns at the HGF. Surgical gowns cannot be made at home as they need to be produced in as sterile an environment as possible.

For many of the Hampstead Gown Factory volunteers, the project offered personal benefits too. It provided a focus during the first lockdown, was a chance to use existing skills and learn new ones, and to become part of a community not mediated by screens.

Details

Category:
Nursing & Hospital Furnishings
Object Number:
2021-448
Materials:
paper
Measurements:
overall (each max): 210 mm x 297 mm
type:
sketches

Parts

Sketch of a surgical gown

Sketch of a surgical gown

Ink sketch of a surgical gown hanging from a peg by Hampstead Gown Factory volunteer, Julie, as part of a Royal Free Charity volunteer project to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for key workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, London, 2020

Measurements:
overall: 297 mm x 210 mm
Materials:
paper
Object Number:
2021-448/1
type:
sketch
Sketch of a surgical gown

Sketch of a surgical gown

Ink sketch of a surgical gown being worn by Hampstead Gown Factory volunteer, Julie, as part of a Royal Free Charity volunteer project to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for key workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, London, 2020

Measurements:
overall: 210 mm x 297 mm
Materials:
paper
Object Number:
2021-448/2
type:
sketches
Sketch of a volunteer at the Hampstead Gown Factory

Sketch of a volunteer at the Hampstead Gown Factory

Ink sketch of a volunteer wearing surgical gown and packing handmade PPE by Hampstead Gown Factory volunteer Julie, part of a Royal Free Charity volunteer project to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for key workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, London, 2020

Measurements:
overall: 297 mm x 210 mm
Materials:
paper
Object Number:
2021-448/3
type:
sketch