Monday 9 June 2014

Valerie Gantz and Six Bells, South Wales

Back in the 1980's the artist Valerie Gantz stayed for a while in a row of cottages overlooking the Six Bells Pit.  It was in full working order at that time and she gained permission to go down with the men to make sketches.

At Ty Ebbw Fach Heritage Centre, Six Bells is an evocative image of hers of miners against the glow of street lights. In June we had a print of another of Valerie's images donated by Mr & Mrs A James.

Copyright of Valerie Gantz, Six Bells Pit, 1986.

This is a wonderful scene of the Six Bells Pit in 1986. All these buildings were removed and the shafts capped in 1990's and it has now been nominated a nature conservation area.

'Guardian' a twenty metre high monument has been erected on the site to commemorate a mining disaster in 1960 when 45 men lost their lives.

Sebastien Boyesen's 'Guardian' erected 2010

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