Oliver Kilbourn: My Life as a Pitman
At Woodhorn they’re marking 90 years since the Ashington Group’s formation with a series of exhibitions, this one is dedicated to its best known and most dedicated member.
Oliver Kilbourn: My Life as a Pitman features 39 paintings documenting his 50 years as a miner at Ashington and Ellington collieries.
It also includes the newly conserved replica of the Ellington Colliery banner that was designed using his artwork in 1951 and subsequently paraded at events such as the annual miners’ picnic.
Paintings on display include The Galloway field at Ashington Colliery, showing gambolling pit ponies before being trained for work underground, and Deputy’s Kist (meaning chest or office) showing the men of an oncoming shift reporting to the pit deputy.
Entry to Woodhorn Museum is free for under 18s but £9.50 for adults (£8.50 concessions) which allows for unlimited visits for 12 months from the date of issue. Find more details of Ashington Group 90 at the Museums Northumberland website.
Read David Whetstone’s preview of the exhibition, here.
