Item RSP/7/k/27 - Photograph: Department of Domestic Science

Photograph showing a student, identified as Marion Lawrence, with other women students behind working in the kitchen.

Labelled on reverse 'Central Office of Information Photograph. Crown Copyright reserved (See Feature Set Into No.210 The Working Man's University: The First Polytechnic. The demand for evening education in Britain far exceeds facilities. After a full day's work a large proportion of the adult population hurry to evening institutes and polytechnics to learn, at a very low cost, the 'know-how' that modern industry and commerce insists of its workers. More than 11,000 people in the evenings, and 2,500 during the day attend courses for further education at the regent Street Polytechnic, where the twelve departments and three craft courses are designed almost exclusively for the vocational student who has reached the age of seventeen (there is no maximum age) and has passed Matriculation or an equivalent University entrance examination.'

Separately labelled 'D.47595 (21) Marion Lawrence (front left) attends the Polytechnic Cookery Classes to lean the science of cooking. She is manageress of a large catering establishment. The cookery classes prepare students for the City and Guilds Ordinary Grade and Teacher's Certificate examinations.'