An album recalling the more-than 50-year career of J.C. Swift at Renolds, one highlight: a 1930’s Renold’s exhibition stand.

Hans RENOLD Ltd. – John Cecil SWIFT.

An album recalling the more-than 50-year career of J.C. Swift at Renolds, and recording some of the products produced and machinery used whilst he was employed there, as well as highlighting an 1930’s Renold’s exhibition stand. [Manchester, England: 1907-1961]. Quarto (9 ½ x 7 1/4in; 242 x 183mm). Card leaves, contents include: a folded 2pp. apprenticeship agreement, printed and manuscript, dated 18 September 1907; Swift’s Union card, dated 1915; 33 mounted photographs + a small envelope of related negatives. Half leather binding (worn, spine missing) – And six additional photographs (including an image of Swift with Sir Charles Renold (Hans Renold’s son); two company Christmas cards from Renold & Coventry, 1934 and 1935, one featuring a photogravure portrait of Hans Renold; an excellent copy of the company history ‘The Story of Hans Renold Limited Chainmakers 1879-1929 Burnage Works, Manchester, England’.

Provenance: John Cecil Swift.

Swift joined Renold's as an apprentice in 1907, and, following a career path that is almost unheard of today, went on to spend his entire working life with same company: an apparent testament to the success of the enlightened management techniques instituted by the firm's founder.  

“Hans Renold (31 July 1852 - 2 May 1943) was a Swiss/British engineer, inventor and industrialist in Britain, who founded the Renold manufacturing textile-chain making business in 1879, and with Alexander Hamilton Church is credited for introducing scientific management also known as Taylorism to England….

Soon after starting the business in 1879, in 1880 Hans Renold invented the bush roller chain. This represented a great advance on the common pin-and-link chains of the day and laid the design foundation upon which all modern precision roller chains are based. The firm immediately extended its business from textile chains into cycle chains for the new safety bicycle invented by J. K. Starley.

Renold was not only a brilliant engineer and a model employer who built around him a very skilled labour force, but was also a very astute businessman. His business prospered and he steadily ploughed back his growing profits into premises and plant. He moved the business to Brook Street, Manchester in 1881. In 1889 a rapid expansion of the business took place and a new factory, Progress Works, was built in Brook Street. In 1906, Hans Renold planned and started construction of Renold Works on open land at Burnage, five miles to the south of Manchester.

Renold had long been devoted to the ideal of establishing a firm sense of community among his employees and their families and in 1909 gave his active support to the establishment of the Hans Renold Social Union for the encouragement of a wide range of leisure activities.

After his death in 1943, Priestnall Hey, his former home in Heaton Mersey adjacent to Renold Works at Burnage, was presented by his son for the use of the Social Union.

Hans Renold Limited was formed as a private limited company in 1903. It merged with The Coventry Chain Company Limited and was registered as a public limited company named Renold and Coventry Chain Company Limited in 1930. It was renamed Renold Ltd. in 1967, and later became Renold PLC. Nowadays the company still bears his name.” (wikipedia)