Window Washers

In this striking photo from 1917, a group of young women balance confidently on ladders, buckets in hand, washing windows on a London street. With the sign “Girls Wanted” visible above, and “George Webster” signage suggesting a commercial or residential building, this image captures a moment of transformation in British society during World War I.

As thousands of men went off to fight, women stepped into traditionally male roles—from munitions factories and farms to street-level services like this. Washing windows may seem like a modest job, but it was a powerful symbol of resilience and adaptability during a time of upheaval.

Their uniforms, headscarves, and determined expressions speak of duty, endurance, and a quiet revolution taking place across Britain: the rise of working women.

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1917 women workers London, female window washers WWI, British homefront labor photos, London women at work 1910s, historical images of UK during war, City of London wartime photographs, George Webster London history