Woolwich Arsenal is an odd name for a place so how did that come about? Back in the 1600's an ammunition laboratory was established. Given a royal warrant in 1695 it quickly expanded to include a gun foundry. Convict labour was used to build an eight foot wall around its boundary. At its peak during WWI 80,000 people were employed in the manufacture of weapons. It finally closed in 1940.The sculpture "Assembly" by Peter Burke is made up of sixteen men that are formed in four pieces. However each figure has one quarter missing so you can see inside.
Perhaps seeking the sanity of weapons manufacture?
