This film is part of Free

Mining Review 25th Year No. 9
A painterly profile of County Durham's brilliant miner-artist Tom McGuinness.
Overview
An attractive portrait of County Durham painter and etcher Tom McGuinness (1926-2006) dominates this fine edition of the National Coal Board's news and magazine series. Of North East England's many talented miner-artists, McGuinness (from Witton Park, near Bishop Auckland) was arguably the most gifted of all. Mining Review here pays thoughtful tribute on the occasion of McGuiness' first major London show.
By the time of this film, Mining Review had spent 25 years exploring two overarching themes in UK coalmining: the technical and safety aspects, as in this edition's opening story about measures against methane, and its cultural and social dimensions, as in the McGuinness item. Though they probably wouldn't have described their work as art, the NCB's filmmakers no doubt felt a certain affinity for McGuinness' rendering of "texture and history" on canvas, paper and plate. On celluloid, they too engraved industrial images: below ground, the play of light against darkness and compositional elements like pit-props and conveyers, above it, close communities framed by steep terraces and towering pitheads. But unlike the Mining Review films, McGuinness' art was ultimately a personal statement - going beyond realism or even impressionism into the realms of expressionism.
Related

Figures in a Landscape Figures in a Landscape
Documentary 1953 17 mins Silent Location: St Ives
A poetic portrait of sculptor Barbara Hepworth and the otherworldly Cornish landscapes which inspired her.

Dancers Dancers
1978 29 mins
Impressionistic portrait of life as a dancer in London’s Ballet Rambert.

Giacometti Giacometti
Documentary 1967 14 mins
Spend a few intense minutes with Giacometti in his Paris studio and see him at work on his striking sculptures.

Portrait of David Hockney Portrait of David Hockney
Documentary 1972 13 mins
Filmed at the time Hockney was painting Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, this compelling study concentrates on the textures and light which surround the artist in his home and studio.

Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt
Documentary 1984 61 mins
Discover the 'name behind the hairstyle', in this essential portrait of the bard of Salford, aka John Cooper Clarke.

Odeon Cavalcade Odeon Cavalcade
Documentary 1973 37 mins
Cinema-goers escape their worries by stepping into the glorious Art Deco luxury of the Odeon picture palaces.

Market Trends in the Year of Rising Prices Market Trends in the Year of Rising Prices
Amateur film 1969 8 mins Silent Location: Spitalfields
From Petticoat Lane to Portobello Road, London's street markets are always full of life.

Summer in Mayfair Summer in Mayfair
Travelogue 1957 26 mins Location: Mayfair
Colour travelogue promoting the cultural, commercial, fashionable and natural highlights of Mayfair in the sunshine.

On Falling - Exclusive Q&A On Falling - Exclusive Q&A
Inside Film 2025 30 mins
Writer-director Laura Carreira talks to Nia Childs about her debut feature, On Falling.

Layla - Exclusive Q&A Layla - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 27 mins
Writer, director and performer Amrou Al-Kadhi talks to Rico Johnson-Sinclair about their debut feature.

All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.

Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.

Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.

Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.