Thames Docks: Mid-Century Cargo and the Shift to Modern

From hands to containers

• Hoists and hooks to forklifts and palettes
• Labour rhythms and union rules
• The coming container age reshaping docks

Labour & Tools

• Hookmen, tally clerks, crane operators; rhythms by tide and shift bell.
• Safety gear evolved; unions negotiated standards.

Changing Shoreline

• Warehouse to office conversions; piers modernized or retired.