New exhibition captures the images and stories of Fife’s mining heritage

Men and women who were the lifeblood of mining communities are front and centre in the show, which opens at Kirkcaldy Galleries on December 7.

‘Before and After Coal’ explores the history and lasting impact of the industry through the work of photographer Milton Rogovin and artist Nicky Bird. Adding context are audio interviews with some of those featured in the photographs and a film in which former miners and their families recall their experiences.

The acclaimed American photographer Milton Rogovin came to Scotland in 1982 to record miners at their pits, in their homes, and during their leisure time.

The pictures would form part of a wider project, The Family of Miners, which also included photographs taken in the US, South Africa, China, Mexico, and Cuba.

Forty years on from the miners’ strike of 1984-85, artist and academic Nicky has updated Rogovin’s documentation by meeting individuals and families connected with the original photographs.

The project was initiated with a series of ‘Then and Now: Show and Tell’ events with people from the former mining towns of Fife, East Ayrshire and the Lothians.

Participants had so much to share about the content of Rogovin’s images as they recognised their parents, grandparents, workmates and friends. A few even saw themselves in a now-vanished world.

Some of those involved posed for portraits in front of blown-up versions of the original images, donning orange miner’s boiler suits and helmets in tribute. They shared their own artefacts and memorabilia and reflected on what they saw, including highly charged memories of the year-long dispute.

Their stories focus on themes of family, community spirit, work and place, expressing ideas and feelings about what has changed and what has endured.

Local school pupils also contributed, sharing their feelings and understanding of Scotland’s mining past and the impact it has had on them today and could have in the future. The results of this engagement are at the heart of the exhibition, which is a collaboration between the artist, the mining communities and the National Galleries of Scotland.

> Before and After Coal: Images and Voices from Scotland’s Mining Communities is at Kirkcaldy Galleries from December 7 until April 20. Admission is free.