The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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The Pit Head Baths
The health of Tinsley Park Colliery miners in Sheffield is significantly improved by new hygiene facilities in this 1920s documentary.
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Overview
Tinsley Park Colliery in Sheffield promotes the values of good mining hygiene in this detailed and interesting filmic exploration of employee cleanliness in the 1920s. The film begins with wide-angle shots of dirty miners finishing their eight hour shift down the pit. The majority of what remains focuses on the men using their new facilities, including hot showers, to clean themselves up.
Mining has been considered to be one of the most dangerous professions in the world for centuries. Over the last two hundred years, government safety laws have been introduced in the UK in order to better protect miners and improve their livelihood. In 1842 Parliament decreed that children under the age of ten would no longer be allowed to work underground. This law was extended further in 1900 when it was mandated that children under the age of 13 would not be permitted to work underground.
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