Past exhibition “Made in Hayes” in London ran from June 2013 to 2017.  The original article, posted in June 2014, was amended in May 2026.

The Old Vinyl Factory development is based on the old “His Master’s Voice” EMI factory site in Hayes. The newly converted office blocks hosted the ‘Made in Hayes’ exhibition about the heritage of the site and its roots in vinyl production. The EMI Archive Trust worked in collaboration with Cathedral Group PLC to create an exhibition on site that pays homage to the legacy of the EMI factory and the thousands of people who worked there from 1907 to 1988. Most of the objects and photographs displayed formed part of the EMI Archive Trust collection

The exhibition covered three main areas concerning the daily running of the 58-acre factory site, which was once the workplace of more than 20,000 people.

Place and Community – looked at the lives of the workers at the EMI factory. The display emphasises the scale of the factory in Hayes with items from the factory’s own dedicated fire emergency services, police forces, as well as paperwork from the company’s social and sports clubs.

Music and Culture – highlighted how the evolution of music over the years became the driving force in directing popular culture. The display included two of the Beatles’ gold discs and a portable gramophone, amongst other pieces. The Gramophone Company was revolutionary in bringing the fine arts to the mainstream. Before recorded music, listening to professional musicians was an activity reserved for only the wealthy. The development of records made music accessible to more people of different financial means and was significant in contributing to the breakdown of class lines in society.

Innovation and Technology – displayed the scientific advancements made by EMI Central Research Laboratories, including the development of stereo sound technology by Alan Blumlein.  As well as the development of the world’s first viable Computed Tomography (CT) scanner for which the EMI scientists Godfrey Hounsfield and Allan McLeod Cormack won a Nobel Prize.

The son and grandson of Alan Dower Blumlein – a brilliant electrical engineer who worked at the EMI Central Research Laboratories. He holds the patent for stereo sound technology which is still in use today.

The large open space of the gallery was the perfect combination of modern clean lines, rustic jet black cabins and warm wooden panels. The space had the feel of an authentic factory atmosphere with exposed ventilation pipes and the gentle hum of the ventilation system mingling with the records playing in the background. The room was accessorised with large blown-up images of the factory (courtesy of the EMI Archive Trust), including pictures of the day the first sod was broken by a famous recording artist in 1908, a site visit from the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and the quality control room with rows of female workers listening to the quality of records leaving the factory.

The pieces throughout the exhibition paint a picture of a vibrant place full of activity.

This is a past exhibition that ran from June 2013 to 2017