Poignant mine photos
Sileby Photographic
Society continues to hold its weekly meetings via Zoom and the one held on Monday, November 30, featured guest lecturer and award winning photographer, Chris Upton, ARPS.
A professional photographer, primarily concentrating on landscape and travel photography, Chris seized on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change tack whereby he was able to record and present digital images under the title ‘ Thoresby, The End of the Mine’.
Thoresby Colliery, the last pit in Nottinghamshire, closed in July 2015 bringing to an end over 900 years of mining in the county.
Prior to its closure, Chris spent nine months documenting the site, the buildings and the people who worked at the Mine, and he created an archive of images recording the pit in its final days and how the story unfolded.
All images were presented in monochrome, the perfect medium for his subject, and were of exceptionally high quality, recording living history before all was demolished and visually forgotten.
It’s history, however, has been preserved forever, hugely important for the County of
Nottinghamshire and the general public, due in no small measure through the images which Chris presented and also a book which he had produced.
His commentary accompanying the images told the story of the Mine in its final months and days before closure, and Chris had captured the tone, the texture and feeling, as well as the dirt and grime of coal dust which featured everywhere.
A short video presentation at the end summarised the systematic run-down of the Mine towards total closure on July 10, 2015, and despite the obvious fall-out for the miners who worked there, morale appeared to remain high with an acceptance by those who were about to lose their livelihood.
John Hoogerwerf, President, ably summed up Chris’s presentation and thanked him for a fascinating story containing an enormous amount of information supporting the pictures which, for some, had brought back many memories.
The Annual Exhibition is still available to view in ‘virtual’ form and this can be found by visiting the Society’s website, ‘Annual Exhibition 2020’, and by clicking ‘here’.
This has been extremely well put together, primarily by Colin Machin with input from members, and has received very favourable feedback.
The next Zoom meeting will be held on Monday, December 14, the last meeting before Christmas, and members are asked to present six images, at the same time enjoying a ‘glass of something’ and a mince pie.
Anyone wishing to become a member of Sileby Photographic Society, enabling access to the weekly Monday evening Zoom meetings, should visit the contact page on the SPS website when further details will be issued.
The programme for the current photographic year is also available to view.