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Somerset wire company, wire manufacture

Photograph
1964 (made)
Artist/Maker
Broomfield, Maurice (photographer)
Place of origin
Somerset (made)

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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read Maurice Broomfield – an introduction Maurice Broomfield (1916 – 2010) made some of the most spectacular photographs of industry in the 20th century. His work spans the rise of post-war industrial Britain in the 1950s to its slow decline into the early 1980s. From shipyards to papermills, and textiles production to car manufac...

Object details

Category
Photographs
Object type
Photograph
TitleSomerset wire company, wire manufacture (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Gelatin silver print
Brief description
Photograph by Maurice Broomfield, 'Somerset wire company, wire manufacture', 1964, gelatin silver print (large size)
Physical description
Vintage gelatin silver print of manufacture
Dimensions
  • Height: 91.2cm
  • Width: 75cm
Gallery label
Maurice Broomfield: Industrial Sublime, Gallery 100 (2021-2022)

Wire Manufacture
Somerset Wire Company, Pengam Moors,
Cardiff, Wales
1964

This image captures the contrast between the swirl of the wire and emerging sparks from manufacturing balanced by the still shapes of the machine and operator. For Broomfield, they ‘made a perfect industrial ballet’.

Gelatin silver print
Given by the artist
Museum no. E.3755-2007
(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
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 object
PROV.15682-2018
Other number
R172-26 - Negative number
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.3755-2007

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Record createdJune 8, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O243085/somerset-wire-company-wire-manufacture-photograph-broomfield-maurice/
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