DescriptionGeorge Burt's Billiard Ball Factory was on the site of where South Mountain School is now located. The company was billed at the time as "the largest pool ball maker in America," and these employees were tasked with polishing and packing the billiard balls for shipment. All of the workers in the photo are women, with one man in a bowler hat visible in the back center. Factories were segregated by gender at this time, to ensure propriety. The man in the back served as a chaperone, entrusted with keeping any men from sneaking in. About George Burt: On January 30, 1894 George Burt patented his improvement for the billiard ball. Before his invention the numbers were painted different colors to show distinction from each other. The color quickly wore off and needed to be renewed which can be costly and a pain. Burt colored a whole section of the ball a solid color so that it can be easily seen and can stand up to a considerable amount of wear and tear.