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Boy Working at Coalface
Poster Prints from Mary Evans Picture Library
Boy Working at Coalface
OLDER BOY WORKING WITH A PICK Young men work as getters from age 18 : they work from as little as eleven to as much as 18 hours a day
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Media ID 592291
© Mary Evans Picture Library 2015 - https://copyrighthub.org/s0/hub1/creation/maryevans/MaryEvansPictureID/10040053
1842 Coal Face Conditions Eleven Hours Mines Older Pick
EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative image captures the harsh realities of childhood labor in the coal mines of the early 19th century. The older boy in the photograph, with a determined look in his eyes, wields a pickaxe at the coalface. He is surrounded by a thick layer of coal dust, a testament to the long hours he spends each day extracting coal from the earth. Children as young as eleven were often employed in the coal mines, working alongside adult men. The young boy in this photograph may have started working at the coalface as early as eleven or twelve years old. The older boy, likely in his late teens, is depicted as a 'getter,' a role that required the most physically demanding labor. Getters worked in the darkest and most dangerous parts of the mine, extracting coal from the seam with their picks. The conditions in the coal mines were notoriously poor. Long hours, low wages, and dangerous working conditions were the norm. The coal mines were dark, cramped, and filled with hazards such as falling rocks, flooding, and gas explosions. The air was thick with coal dust, which could cause respiratory problems and other health issues. Despite these challenges, children and young men continued to work in the coal mines out of necessity. Coal was a vital source of energy for the industrializing world, and the demand for it was high. The image of the older boy working at the coalface is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by children and young men during this period in history. This photograph, taken in 1842, is a powerful reminder of the harsh realities of childhood labor in the coal mines during the early 19th century. It is a testament to the resilience and determination of the young people who worked in these dangerous conditions, and a reminder of the progress that has been made in protecting the rights and welfare of children in the workplace.
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