“Joe the Girder” by Robert Olley. South Shields Museum, England

Joe was on permanent night shift. He and his ‘marra’ (work mate) were responsible for transporting girders ‘in-bye’ (from the shaft to the working area). This was 1956, before helmets and safety boots were compulsory. Each had a safety pin set horizontally above the peak of their cloth cap, on which they hooked their cap lamp. Both insisted on wearing casual footwear, and a folded hessian sack doubled as a shoulder pad. Joe had the most unlikely physique for the work he did, but no one ever ran short of girders.

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: South Shields Museum & Art Gallery, Tyne & Wear
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Robert Olley (b. 1940)
Date: 2015

Image details
Date: 25 September 2025
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/50s
ISO: 400
Licence: Image of a North East Museums asset. This image cannot be licensed.