Thursday, November 29, 2012

Occupation: Doffer


A doffer is someone who clears full bobbins and spindles holding spun fiber such as cotton or wool from a spinning frame and replaces them with empty ones.  In the textile mills this work required speed and dexterity rather than strength and was often done by children.  Modern textile mills now utilize doffing machines.
(Image source: ehistory.osu.edu)

2 comments:

Yvonne Demoskoff said...

He seems like such a young fellow to be working, but I guess that was the reality at one time. Do you know in what year this photo was taken?

TCasteel said...

The photo is from: The Child Labor Bulletin, August, 1914; OSU ehistory website.