Past and Present of Leather Goods Workshops in Ubrique
(Andalusia-Spain)

We managed to get several quite old photos of some workshops and manufacturers from Ubrique, which we want to share with our readers. The photos were taken more than 60 years ago, therefore the workshops in the photos have seen some generations of leather workers pass by and, in so doing, they have become icons of the savoir-faire of the leather industry in Andalusia.

The older generations of leather workers started to learn the job when they were around 17 years old. At first, they were responsible for very basic tasks and, as they learned the job, they became more implied in the whole manufacturing process.

Nowadays, the average age of the workers in the leather industry in Andalusia is around 50, which implies that, on the one hand the industry has got very experienced and skilled manpower. On the other hand, the industry must approach the generational shift in order to keep being one of the leading areas as far leather goods manufacturing is concerned.