Queens of Industry

Queens of Industry were women who were chosen by their industries, through local, regional and national beauty-pageant style competitions, to become the mascots or official representatives of their fields. This twentieth-century phenomenon began in 1925 when a Railway Queen was crowned to mark the centenary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. It spread to the other major industries in Britain, first to textiles such as cotton, wool and silk, and then to other industries including coal. The practice stopped in the 1980s in Britain, but continued in other countries into the twenty-first century.
History.
The phenomenon began in Britain in the 1920s, inspired by the tradition of the May Queen. The first industry to embrace the idea of a 'Queen' was the railway industry. During the 1930s, a wide variety of industries embraced the idea and at one event in 1936, in Blackpool, the Queens present included: the Cotton Queen, Salt Queen, Fish Queen, Locomotive Queen, Potteries Queen, Wool Queen, and Silk Queen. There were other Queens as well, such as the Queen of the Radio, and the Queen of the English Riviera. The idea was also adopted in the US, where other industries represented included the Tobacco Queen.
For the women who became Queens, it gave many of them access to new opportunities. The winner of the pageants would often meet different political figures of the time; their aim was to help raise morale and speak publicly. The phenomenon was sometimes criticised as a public relations stunt, designed to distract workers from trade union disputes and high levels of employee dissatisfaction.
Railway Queens.
The first Railway Queen was crowned as part of the centenary celebrations of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 1925. For these early queens, physical appearance was important and those chosen were often daughters of railway workers, aged 14 to 17 years old. The first queen was Helena "Ella" Wotton, the daughter of a Great Western Railway Employee. 
Audrey Mossom was crowned Railway Queen in 1935, aged 15. Mossom was crowned the tenth Railway Queen in front of a crowd of 70,000 at the Railway Carnival and Pageant held at Belle Vue, Manchester. Extremely popular and originally from Blackpool, Mossom was the second celebrity ever to be invited to switch on Blackpool Illuminations. In 1936, Mossom was invited to visit the Soviet Union and the question was raised as to whether she should visit as a schoolgirl, or as Britain's Railway Queen. The latter role was chosen and she met Stalin and Russian railway workers.
In 1928, Ena Best from Rusholme was crowned Railway Queen. During her year as the industry's representative, she travelled to Holland to visit Dutch railway workers, as well as opening Europe's longest station platform, which was created when Manchester Exchange station was linked to Manchester Victoria.
In 1975, Brenda Tomlinson was the final Railway Queen to be crowned in a ceremony at Shildon.
Textile Queens.
Textile industries embraced the idea of queens from the late 1920s, to act as ambassadors for the industry in face of a crash in cotton prices. Queens from a variety of textile industries were popular in the 1930s, but social changes after the Second World War meant that they did not return to their previous popularity. In 1949 a new 'Textile Queen' competition was launched in Blackpool, but it was not repeated.
Cotton Queens.
The first Cotton Queen – the winner of the Cotton Queen Quest, Frances Lockett, was crowned in 1930. The competition was started by the newspaper the "Daily Dispatch", which launched a search for 'the most beautiful girl in the cotton industry'. This competition was open to women who worked in the industry from Cheshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire. Lancashire was central to the development of the Cotton Queen – the music hall song ‘She’s a Lassie from Lancashire’ was even used as the official theme. Each new Queen was obliged to travel around the country, acting as a representative and advocate for the cotton industry for a year after her win.
On 3 July 1930, when Lockett returned home to Hyde, near Manchester, tens of thousands of people lined the streets and she had to have a police escort. Even after her time as the cotton queen, she was still in high demand to attend charity events and was a celebrity in Hyde until her death.
Marjorie Knowles, who was crowned Cotton Queen in 1932, raised morale through her work at a time of high unemployment. Knowles had previously been crowned Burnley Cotton Queen three weeks before the national competition. During her year as queen, she met Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald.
The Cotton Queen Quest stopped in 1939 due to the outbreak of the Second World War.
Wool Queens.
Taking the lead from Lancashire's Cotton Queens, Yorkshire's Wool Industry also ran competitions to select women to represent it. Local support was key and the Dewsbury Wool Queen competition was organised by the "Leeds Mercury" newspaper. 
In 1931, Mary Wood was crowned Dewsbury Wool Queen. In 1947 Doreen Fletcher was crowned Yorkshire Wool Queen and was chosen to star in a film called "Three Piece Suit", which was designed to encourage young women to join the wool industry. Due to its success Fletcher later had a career as a singer, model and actress.
Silk Queens.
In addition to cotton and wool, but lesser known, were the Queens associated with Britain's Silk Industry. In 1933, Alice Lilian King was crowned Silk Queen, in a ceremony that was filmed.
Coal Queens.
The National Coal Queen of Britain competition was introduced in 1969 and the last event was held in 1996. It was a collaboration between the National Coal Board and the National Union of Mine Workers. However smaller, local competitions had been held since the 1950s. Entrants had to either work for the Board, or have a relative who did. Runners-up became escorts of the new Coal Queen, and were known as 'The Miners' Lamps'. Winners of the pageant could win holidays, money and clothes. The 1977 winner, Marie Redford, won her weight in Babycham.
Women competed in colliery, then regional events, moving towards a national final. This final event was held in either Blackpool or Skegness. From 1969 to 1976 the event was held at the Derbyshire Miners’ Holiday Centre in Skegness; from 1977 to 1983 it was held at Blackpool's annual Mining Weekend. The Northumberland Coal Queen was usually crowned on the annual Picnic Day. There were fifteen National Coal Queens in total, many of whom met up at reunions later in life.
Duties for successful queens varied considerably: from escorting trains, as the 1972 Yorkshire coal queen Margaret Dominiak who travelled from Kellingley Colliery to Drax Power Station, to representing the industry at international events. Former Coal Queen Deborah Tate emphasised that for many women it was also an honour and opportunity to represent your community.
Around the world.
Argentina.
A popular national contest in Argentina, is to become the 'Queen of Fishermen', representing the industry.
Germany.
Similar queens are crowned in Germany annually or biannually, mostly in the agricultural sector like viticulture. Winners are often chosen from families involved in that particular field and have ceremonial and promotional functions, like opening of trade fairs. There is an association of such figures to allow for coordination of promotional events.
United States.
The tradition still thrives in America, particularly in the Bituminous Coal Queen pageant in Pennsylvania, where the competition also includes a general knowledge test. A 2005 documentary "The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania" examined the story of Sarah Rush, a former queen.
In the 1930s, Tobacco Queens became popular in the US, with several regional contests beginning across Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Legacy.
Film.
The British film "Cotton Queen" was produced in 1937, directed by Bernard Vorhaus and starring Mary Lawson and Stanley Holloway In it, Lawson, as the daughter of a mill owner, spies on her father's rival.
Exhibitions.
Several exhibitions have been held at museum in the UK on the topic, including: 
Literature.
Queens of Industry have been depicted in several novels, including:
Historiography.
The work and the legacy of the phenomenon of Queens of Industry is one that would benefit from further research and much of what has been done has been compiled by researchers in the museum sector.