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Piney Flats, TN
$13.00
Title
When Coal Was King
Artist
Jim Cook
Medium
Photograph - Photography Digital Art
Description
When coal was king is not that long ago if measured by generations. Today�s generation of miners are beset with layoffs, company mismanagement leading to bankruptcy, a glut of natural gas driving power plants to switch to the cheaper alternative, concerns about the environment and the sometimes deliberate inattention to safety.
The predecessors of today�s miners would tell you of the sacrifices made by so many doing one of the world�s most difficult and dangerous jobs. Nearly every miner�s family could tell you of someone who died in a mine or was severely injured. Not to mention the likelihood of suffering from Black Lung Disease. In 1987 The recorded number of individuals that died at mining operations over the years since anthracite mining first occurred reached 31,088.
When coal was king, states like West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania saw their populations swell with the influx of workers eager to support their families. These new workers needed everything that only a community can provide such as stores, transportation, places of entertainment, and places of worship. In this fashion cities were growing and thriving.
When coal was king if measured by technology seems like ages ago. Everything has changed from transportation, communication, distribution. Monster machines can produce in one minute an amount of coal that would have taken a miner in the 1920�s one day to match. Powerful machines remotely controlled will scoop it into shuttle cars and conveyors replacing young boys and mules.
Those days when coal was king shouldn�t be forgotten for on the backs of those men during that time this country was forged. Men from Africa, Ireland and some 23 other nationalities made up the work force that propelled the nation�s economic engine forward and added to our cultural heritage
Uploaded
August 10th, 2016
Statistics
Viewed 931 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/26/2024 at 11:56 PM
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Bareggio - Italy
Perfect composition. The silhouette of the worker echoes the silhouette of the working structure, and vice versa.
San Pedro, CA - United States
I'm reminded of WPA art I have seen in San Francisco. Great work, Jim !
Dayton, WA - United States
This is reminiscent of the 1930s style Pacific Northwest Art -- a visit of nostalgia to a time, as you observe, that wasn't that long ago.
Western, IL - United States
CONGRATULATIONS!! Your impressive artwork has been Featured by the - ABC Group - Be Sure to archive it in the Feature thread LF
North Attleborough, MA - United States
Congratulations! Your beautiful work has been featured in the Fine Art America group “Black and White – The Art Form”! You are invited to archive your featured image for permanent storage and for viewing on the Discussions Page: “2c- Member's Extraordinary Features and Showcased-Images are Archived here” theme. Simply copy your image’s Embed URL on your image’s profile page, and paste it into the Discussion Page theme as noted above. Group URL: http://fineartamerica.com/groups/black-and-white--the-art-form.html
North Attleborough, MA - United States
Congratulations! Your creative image has been featured in the Fine Art America group: Black and White The Art Form for the theme: Abstract Images: Other-Than-Ordinary Glances at Daily Life! Group URL: http://fineartamerica.com/groups/black-and-white--the-art-form.html
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