Hunt for Stoke-on-Trent industrial workers in 1970s photographs

9 December 2021

Miners at Florence Colliery were among the workers Janine Wiedel photographed in the 1970s

Janine Wiedel A miner in 1970s — Miners at Florence Colliery were among the workers Janine Wiedel photographed in the 1970s

A photographer is trying to find people she documented doing industrial work during the 1970s in Stoke-on-Trent.

Between 1977 and 1979, Janine Wiedel photographed miners at Florence Colliery, potters at Spode and Aynsley China, and steel workers at Shelton Bar.

Many of the photographs she took are on display until 7 January at The Hive in Birmingham.

She has appealed for anyone who recognises the people pictured to get in touch through her website.

"Part of my reason for wanting [the photographs] to go up as an exhibition again is so that I can somehow [find] some of the people or relatives of the people I photographed back then," she said.

Pottery workers at Spode and Aynsley China were also photographed between 1977 and 1979

Janine Wiedel Pottery worker carrying ceramics — Pottery workers at Spode and Aynsley China were also photographed between 1977 and 1979

Mrs Wiedel said she had been considering a follow-up project to find out what happened to those people over 40 years.

The photographs have not been on show for several decades and she said it was "important to bring [back] those memories... to show how people worked, what workplaces were like".