A new photography project brings together two generations of Barrow’s workforce in a free exhibition trail by Dawn Parsonage.
Commissioned by Signal Film and Media, The Workers unites two generations of Barrow’s workforce — over 100 years apart — and places the people of the town directly between them.
The work will be displayed across locations in Barrow town centre in outdoor and public spaces and online, launching on Wednesday July 9.
Inspired by the Sankey Photography Archive, a vast collection documenting Barrow’s industrial and social heritage digitised by Signal Film and Media, The Workers captures modern-day Barrovians in their workplaces — composed, still, and looking straight down the lens — just as their Edwardian predecessors did.
Three of Dawn’s photographs will be publicly displayed opposite original Sankey images, pairing workers from different eras.
Dawn said: “Both will be looking directly at each other. When people stand between the two, I hope they will have a sudden feeling of being seen too, a connection to the past and present, a feeling that they are part of the artwork and the timeline too.”
Dawn worked closely with workplaces such as Identify uniform shop, Cumbria Sewing and Craft Centre and Dandy’s furniture store.
They were chosen for their deep connections to the every day lives of locals, mirroring the Sankey’s focus on local businesses featured in the archive.
Dawn led photography workshops with Barrow locals, where they explored the Sankey archive together, examining the theme of workers and discussing the context and purpose behind the original photographs.
The sessions informed the final portraits and allowed the community to directly connect with their heritage.
Dawn added: “Everyone took it in their stride, and after seeing the images from 100-plus years ago, understood that they were part of history themselves.”
The Workers will be displayed on an outdoor trail in Barrow Library, Barrow Railway Station, Barrow Town Hall, Dandy’s Furniture Store and Cavendish Street ginnel throughout the summer.
The Workers is part of Sankey: Lives Through the Lens, a heritage project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
