4287 x 2848 px | 36,3 x 24,1 cm | 14,3 x 9,5 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
29 giugno 2014
Altre informazioni:
The small port of Barrow Haven handles timber from Latvia and Estonia. It was once renowned for its bricks and pantiles made from clay recovered from the edges of the Humber. Sanderson's and Pearson's brick yards were located on the west bank of the Haven - to the left in this photograph - and Foster's and Greenwood's on the east bank though little evidence of either remains. Clay was dug by hand during the summer months and stockpiled for use during the rest of the year. At Pearson's, the clay was hauled up a slope in metal skips and tipped into the clay mill. The clay mill rolled and squeezed the excess moisture from the clay and then extruded it into a rectangular shape approximately twenty four inches wide by twelve inches deep. This extrusion was cut into manageable segments with a wire and the segments stored in a cool building to wait collection by the labourers who operated the tile and brick-forming machines. These machines were hand-operated and required considerable strength to crank. The labourers were generally employed on 'piecework' and low-paid. The Haven was an important landing point for barges bringing coal to fuel these brickyard kilns from the Yorkshire coalfields. Once firing began, the kiln was tended night and day as the coal had to be shovelled by hand to keep up the heat. The resulting products were generally high quality and extremely durable.
