Collection: Woodhorn Museum

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Cornucopia)

  Industry

  The collection includes about 1,000 items mainly hand tools, drill bits, wood, iron and hydraulic pit props, shot-firing equipment, ropes, chains and first aid gear, tubs, rails and pumps. There are 2 locos – an underground one from Morrison Busty Colliery of 1949 and a Hunslet diesel from Vane Tempest Colliery with 3 mine cars and track. Also a shearer, coal cutter, underground pumps and a section of training face equipment from Seaham Colliery.

  Fine Art

  This collection of ‘Pitmen painters’ art is on loan from the Trustees of the Ashington Group and is 86 works of the group formed from an evening class in art in the 1930s showing work in the mines and life at home. There are also 30 paintings on loan from Oliver Kilbourn. Published as ‘The Pitman Painters’ by William Feares and ‘My life as a Pitman’.

  Mining Library

  A collection of works on the coal industry in Ashington and the South East Northumberland area.

  Subjects

  Local History; Social History; Coal mining; Technology and Applied Science

  Old oral history collection

  Underground mining work. Men talking about working in the mines, and growing up in a mining community.

  Subjects

  Oral history

  Archives

  There are papers relating to Woodhorn Colliery; 300 posters of the mining community from the 1940s and 50s; Oral history of 20 sound recordings with personal recollections; and a photographic archive of 1500 prints and negatives of the museum and copies of privately held material. Also a large amount of published material donated by Northumberland Miners Union including minute books, Reports and proceedings of the National Union of Mineworkers, technical and trade journals e.g. Iron and Coal trades review, Mining and Electrical Engineer.

  Source: Cornucopia

  Date: Not known, but before 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC