Vulcan's Forge by Janine Wiedel (2024)

First Bluecoat Press Edition. 

First impression 

Large format hardback in fine condition.

Signed by Janine Wiedel at the Photographers Gallery in 2024

Also includes 5 postcards signed by Janine Wiedel and a feature article from the Black and White Photography Magazine, courtesy of the previous owner.

256 pages

320 x 240 x 28 mm

About

Vulcan’s Forge by Janine Wiedel is a groundbreaking documentation of West Midlands industry in the late 1970s. Originally shown at The Photographers’ Gallery in 1979, the exhibition garnered critical acclaim, solidifying the work as one of the most important of its generation.

In 1977, Janine Wiedel set out in her VW campervan to photograph industry in England’s West Midlands – once the heart of the Industrial Revolution. A region that was home to thousands of businesses – from potteries and jewellers to coal mines, steel and iron works – was in steep decline; underinvestment over many decades in both premises and machinery had created a depressing situation where once world-leading businesses were no longer competitive internationally and facing a grim future.

Janine realised that this was a critical turning point in Britain’s industrial history and she set out to document the workers within their working environment. She was given remarkable access by the factories and was welcomed by the workforce, who greatly appreciated her interest in recording not just their daily work routines but also the bonding and social interaction that was so important in often grim factory environments.