The Boulby Miner, The sculpture was commissioned to celebrate 50 years of active mining at Boulby Potash Mine, North Yorkshire
The sculpture was commissioned to celebrate 50 years of active mining (the installation was delayed due to Covid). It is a replica of a bait bench and table (bait is a colloquial word for a workers' packed meal) located underground, where miners have lunch, and their morning meeting. The table is slightly higher than a normal table, and the seating is lower, so a miner can sit comfortably whilst wearing all his gear. It shows all equipment normally on the communications board – a telephone, with the phone numbers for the different tunnels written above, blast light, emergency button with a tannoy above. There is also a lunch bag, safety glasses and old notices, with the sticky tape peeling off. There is even a cup on the edge of the table. The miner represents a composite all all miners working underground. He is shown wearing all the kit miners in different roles might wear: headlamp, ear muffs on top of his hard hat, full hi-vis jump suit, safety token coloured to look like bronze, self rescue battery pouch and goliath boots. The information and maps on the bait table are laser cut. People are encouraged to sit next to the miner and take a selfie, which will have Boulby Mine in the background.
Size: 5017px × 3345px
Location: Boulby, North Yorkshire
Photo credit: © Rob Ford / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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