Not currently on display at the V&A

Cooling tower under construction

Photograph
1954 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Broomfield, Maurice (photographer)
Place of origin
Cumbria (photographed)

Maurice Broomfield (1916-2010) worked to photograph the changing face of British manufacturing industries during the 1950s and 1960s. His photographs are recognized for their uniquely modern design elements, humanist strain, and their contribution to the documentation of the rebirth of British industry in the post war era.

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listen Talking photography: Maurice Broomfield Listen to photographer Maurice Broomfield (1916 – 2010) talk about some of his most iconic industrial photographs, taken inside Britain's factories in the 1950s and '60s.

Object details

Category
Photographs
Object type
Photograph
TitleCooling tower under construction (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Silver gelatin print
Brief description
Photograph by Maurice Broomfield, 'Cooling Tower Under Construction', 1954, gelatin silver print, printed 1995
Physical description
A silver gelatin print of a factory worker looking down a cooling tower at three figures standing below.
Dimensions
  • Height: 611mm
  • Paper width: 504mm
Marks and inscriptions
Signed by Maurice Broomfield, dated 1954. 5/25
Gallery label
  • Maurice Broomfield: Industrial Sublime, Gallery 100 (2021-2022) Cooling Tower Under Construction Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station, Cumbria 1954 Calder Hall (later known as Sellafield) was the world’s first industrial-scale nuclear power station. Broomfield chose a dramatic perspective to photograph inside one of the four massive cooling towers, daringly positioning himself straddling two planks nearly 90 metres (300 feet) in the air. In bird’s-eye view, the tower’s extraordinary height is dramatized by the people visible on different levels of the building. Gelatin silver print, printed 1995 Given by the artist Museum no. E.3747-2007
  • Broomfield made his name as the premier photographer of post-war British industry. From the 1950s until the 70s he was regularly commissioned by companies such as English Electric, Ford, Shell and Philips. Broomfield sought to elevate the figure of the worker. Through careful composition and strong lighting his photographs create a sense of the drama and atmosphere of labour. As manufacturing has turned to cheaper markets overseas, these photographs serve as a reminder of an important moment in Britain's industrial history.(20/03/2012)
Credit line
Given by the artist
Subjects depicted
Industrial Location
Workplace
Cooling Towers
Factory
Factory Workers
Workplace
Summary
Maurice Broomfield (1916-2010) worked to photograph the changing face of British manufacturing industries during the 1950s and 1960s. His photographs are recognized for their uniquely modern design elements, humanist strain, and their contribution to the documentation of the rebirth of British industry in the post war era.
Bibliographic reference
Maurice Broomfield, published by Foto8, 2009 Plate 12. Cooling Tower Under Construction "The inside of a cooling tower under construction is an awesome sight. Positioning myself, straddling across two planks, was difficult. Cooling towers are not the most desirable things to fall into. This picture was exhibited in Rotterdam and later featured on Dutch television, accompanied with sound effects. I was more scared watching it than photographing it." Calder Hall Nuclear Power Station, Cumbria (the site now known as Sellafield) during construction by Taylor Woodrow Construction Company, 1954
Other number
M851-9 - Negative number
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.3747-2007

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Record createdJune 8, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O239170/cooling-tower-under-construction-photograph-broomfield-maurice/
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