EPW005204 ENGLAND (1921). Dorman-Long & Co construction site for the Ministry of Pensions building at Bromyard Avenue, Acton, 1921

Steel lintels supplied by Dorman Long. This type of steelwork construction revolutionised building in the 20th century. Dorman Long, based in Middlesbrough and founded in 1875 was a major steel producer and supplied 80% of the steel used in the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge when the company won the contract in 1924. In the sixties and seventies they had such a monopoly of steel girders and lintels that in the construction industry a steel lintel was simply referred to as a Dorman Long. In 1967 Dorman Long came together with other companies to form British Steel and the steel industry was nationalised. In 2000 Dorman Long Technology Ltd formed as an independent company as part of a management buy out of Cleveland Bridge in August of that year.