Artist aims to 'make people interested in mines'

An artist and cave explorer has said he hopes his work showcasing the Laxey Mine makes people more interested in this "incredible place we've got underground on the Isle of Man".

Major Shane Lucas, who has been a cave explorer all his life, has spent decades traversing the island's historical mines and now channels that experience into artwork.

An exhibition, called Underground Mann, displaying his sketches and sculptures of the mines is currently on show in the Cabinet of Curiosities in the Manx Museum.

The 84-year-old said: "The Isle of Man doesn't seem to have made enough of what they've got in the Laxey Mine."

The site was "incredibly important," he said. "They are 2,200 feet deep and two miles long at about 16 different levels - absolutely enormous."

"At some stage in the mid-1880s or thereabouts, more zinc came out of the Laxey mine than every other mine in the British Isles combined," he continued.

The Great Laxey Mine, which was in operation between 1825 and 1929, employed more than 600 miners during its time, with the site used for mining lead as well as zinc.

Lucas, who has written books about the mine and caving, said through his exploring, he landed a job with the government where he became responsible for surveying the Great Laxey Mine.

Lucas said: "I have been as far as you can get in every direction on that particular mine."

Through a single rope technique, which enabled Lucas to explore the mines past the ladders, he worked to unblock areas.

At times having to swim to passages, he discovered places like old candle chamber, where some miners' candles remained.

"The main passage got a lot of water in it, so I was swimming along there with my nose to the ceiling in order to get as far as I can," he said.

The area had a lot of mud and soot as it was where the steam train used to run.

Lucas also discovered areas where miners had sketched their names into the walls, as well as writing who they had voted for.

He creates clay models as well as sketches of the mines.

He said: "A lot of my models show exactly what it was like in various parts of the mine, because I studied it very thoroughly.

"I do an awful lot of drawings, I find that photography is fun, but to really convey what it's like underground, a black and white drawing, or a clay model can do this."

During the site's operation, there were 36 deaths and 55 serious accidents, most commonly caused by gun powder explosions.

Even now, being in the mines was "very, very frightening" particularly when headlights were all turned off, he said.

"You literally dare not move an inch because you could trip over something, you could fall down a big hole, you could fall into deep water."

Speaking of the exhibition, he added: "I'm hoping that this would make people more interested in this incredible place you've got underground on the Isle of Man."

The display is being shown at the Manx Museum in Douglas until 4 May.

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