Wigan Album
Pit Brow Lasses
23 Comments
Photo: George Chilvers
Item #: 25447
I've been looking at photos of Pit Brow Lasses, and this one caught my eye, as it looked like the girls had scrubbed up for the photo, put on clean aprons, and got our their best shawls. They wanted to look their best.
When I've added the colour to me anyway they have come to life as people. Girls who laughed as well as worked hard, who probbaly flirted with the lads at the back. Real people that didn't come through in the dull monochrome picture.
If you want to see the misery then by all means look at the originals. The originals are still there. I haven't painted over the only copy.
But I hope that this colourisation helps see the lasses as living, breathing people.
Normally I don't agree with "messing about" with the original but I have to confess this seems "just right" and I congratulate you on your efforts. A superb photo.
Pat on the back George..colour has certainly brought them all
to life..bless 'em..thank you for this insight..I'm always
saying the same thing.."We don't know we're born".
totally agree George they are fantastic in colour, cant wait for the next one!
Maureen, Your last sentence says it all..
Well done George ! Fantastic job
I love colourised pictures. They seem to make the past come alive and help us relate to the images more easily. This is excellent.
Totally agree. A fantastic photo brought to life by the addition of colour. The size of that shovel in the foreground tells you life was not easy on the pit brow, although the Guy on the right doesn't look like he got his hands dirty too often. Pit Manager / Owner perhaps.
George, you have a real talent for this.
Well said George, my sentiments exactly .
A cracking picture George keep the good work up,they are outstanding in colour.
George, what a lovely photo. I agree totally with your comments
I like this, if the colouring is done sympathetically it does enhance the photo.
Excellent George
My Gran & her sisters were Pit Brow Lassies at Digmoor. Their photo is on this site. I love the story about certain "Posh" tried to have them banned because - some of them wore trousers. The lassies won.
Looks like only myself , Maureen and Maggie saw the real value of this picture. For me it certainly wasn't,t some modern camera technique . I know , I have learned, that modern camera technology can now show the details that were missed by the lack of technology. This is of enormous
value. I must though to admit that I was taken aback at the lack of comment as to the hard an existence these people had.
I don't think at all that anyone has missed the point of how hard an existence these girls (and men) lived. It is well documented in many places - not least in other pictures on this site.
But, not meaning to dismiss that, what I have attempted to portray in adding colour to this is that these aren't just some social exhibit in a museum of hard life.
These were real people. And real people did laugh sometimes. In fact probably a lot. They flirted. They preened themselves. They sang the songs of the day. They laughed and cried at trivia.
Yes - they lived very very hard lives compared to ours. But we can relate to them so much more by seeing them as they were - just like us in many ways.
Blimey, its like the first time you saw colour tv!
Life from under the grime, so real, so poignant.
You have done this picture justice George.
George only one word.............Beltin......
wow!!!!!!!! cant stop staring well done.
The woman second from the right (wearing a blue shawl) is Ellen Mitten - she worked on the surface at Crowe Pit which is probably where the picture was taken
My great grandmother Alice Parkinson born Orrell 1847 was a pit brow lass. So proud of her. Love the photo, thanks.
Well done, really good job ! The colour brings the image closer by a lot of years. Looks like it was only took recently