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Balancing a Ship Propeller

Photograph
1956 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Broomfield, Maurice (photographer)
Place of origin
Glasgow (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

Categories
Photographs
Scotland
Object type
Photograph
TitleBalancing a Ship Propeller (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Silver gelatin print
Brief description
Photograph by Maurice Broomfield, 'Balancing a Ship Propeller', 1956, gelatin silver print, printed about 1995
Physical description
A silver gelatin print of a worker handling a ship's propeller
Dimensions
  • Paper height: 606mm
  • Paper width: 504mm
Marks and inscriptions
Signed Maurice Broomfield
Gallery label
Maurice Broomfield: Industrial Sublime, Gallery 100 (2021-2022)

Balancing a Ship Propeller
and page from job reference book
1956–60

Broomfield noted, ‘This, I feel, is one of the most beautiful and tactile pieces of industrial sculpture …. The buffing marks, I thought, added a lot to the picture. They were also final signatures on a work of industrial art.’ He also described the worker’s skill: ‘The correct pitch of a propeller is vital for the comfort of passengers on prestigious cruise ships. The prospect of having one’s cocktail continuously shaken is enough for some to cancel the trip.’

Balancing a Ship Propeller
Bull’s Metal and Marine Shipyard, Yoker, Glasgow, Scotland
1956
Gelatin silver print, printed 1995
Museum no. E.3733-2007

Page from job reference book
About 1960
Gelatin silver prints
Given by the artist
Museum no. AAD/2010/13/188
(20/03/2012)
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.
Credit line
Given by the artist
Subjects depicted
Industrial Location
Ship
Propeller
Shipbuilding
Shipyards
Worker
Engineer
Places depicted
Glasgow
Scotland
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.
Associated objects
Other number
M1014-1 - Negative number
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.3733-2007

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Record createdJune 8, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O239211/balancing-a-ship-propeller-photograph-broomfield-maurice/
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