Mill workers on pile of raw cotton balls on Deccan plateau, near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, Asia

Mill workers on pile of raw cotton balls on Deccan plateau, near Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, Asia

Modernised cotton mill in Ahmedabad, the Manchester of the East, Gujarat, India, Asia

Cotton mills in Ahmedabad, the Manchester of the East, Gujarat, India, Asia

Centenary Mill, an old Lancashire cotton mill in Preston, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Old cotton mills in Bingley, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

An old cotton mill converted into housing on the Leeds Liverpool Canal at Bingley, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

An old cotton mill converted into housing on the Leeds Liverpool Canal at Bingley, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Visitors in the Art District cotton-spinning mill, from cotton to culture, design festival Designers Open, from 28 till 30 November 2012, Bohemian side of town, Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany

Visitors in the Art District cotton-spinning mill, from cotton to culture, design festival Designers Open, from 28 till 30 November 2012, Bohemian side of town, Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany

Weaving mill