In the 1960s, applicants to work in a Belgian textile factory had to copy the image on the white board onto a larger board, using thread, correctly and as quickly as possible. People were also tested for colour-blindness, arithmetic and proficiency in Dutch.

In the years following the Second World War, as the Belgian textile industry became a less attractive employer, immigrant workers were brought from Turkey and North Africa to fill the job roles. But ultimately, automated machinery pushed these workers out of their roles.

The displays at the Museum of Industry manage to weave technical and industrial history with social commentary and a real sense of what it was like to live and work in an industrial city.