Pit Pony Collection

A Pit Pony at Work (engraving)
2809366 A Pit Pony at Work (engraving) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A Pit Pony at Work. Illustration for Chatterbox Annual, 1911.); © Look and Learn

Interior of a coal mine, 1862. Underground scene in a mine, showing a miner winning coal, while a wagon full of coal is being hauled along rails to the bottom of the pit shaft by a pony

St Just Tin Miners, Harold Harvey (1874-1941)
Oil on canvas, Newlyn School, 1935. Harold Harvey was one of the few successful artists of the period who was born and raised in Cornwall

The Coal Strike, from The Year 1912, published London, 1913 (litho)
KW280476 The Coal Strike, from The Year 1912, published London, 1913 (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: National Coal Strike, 1912;)

Coal miners (chromolitho)
2817178 Coal miners (chromolitho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Coal miners. Educational card, late 19th or early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

Coal - Miners - Miner Jonathan Jeffreys with his pit pony - Brecon - 12th June 1990

Pit ponies, South Yorkshire, 1967. Artist: Michael Walters
Pit ponies, South Yorkshire, 1967. In 1913 there were 70, 000 pit ponies at work in Britain, according to government statistics

After the settlement: Miners taking their ponies back to the pit, 1915. On 15 July 1915 about 200, 000 coalminers in south Wales went on strike

Bradley coal mine, near Bilston, 1886. From Cyclopaedia of Useful Arts, Mechanical and Chemical, Manufactures, Mining, and Engineering, volume I, by Charles Tomlinson

Labour in Paris, 1899. Artist: F Meaulle
Labour in Paris, 1899. Building works fro the Exposition Universelle, Paris, 1900. An illustration from Le Petit Journal, 15th May 1899

Underground scene in a coal mine, 1860. Full baskets (corves) of coal being loaded on a tram wagon using a crane. Pit ponies were used to haul coal underground

Pit Pony pulling truck
Pit Pony pulling a truck with pit props

COAL MINER & MULE 1940. A coal miner and his mule near Penfield, Pennsylvania. Photograph, c1940, by Jack Delano

HINE: CHILD LABOR, 1908. Young drivers and a trapper boy with pit ponies at Brown Mine, Brown, West Virginia. Photograph by Lewis Hine, September 1908

WEST VIRGINIA: COAL MINE. Boy drivers at a coal mine near Sand Lick, Grafton, West Virginia. Photograph by Lewis Hine, September 1908

PENN. : COAL MINING, 1869. Pennsylvania coal miners: wood engraving, American, 1869
PENN.: COAL MINING, 1869. Pennsylvania coal miners: wood engraving, American, 1869

COAL MINE EXPLOSION, 1873. Aftermath of a coal mine explosion. American engraving, 1873

Coal mine. Historical artwork of a working coal mine in Staffordshire. Taken from Mines and Miners (1868) by L. Simonin

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"Pit Ponies: The Unsung Heroes of the Coal Mines" Step back in time to the year 1862, where an engraving captures the arduous life of a pit pony. These hardworking animals were an integral part of coal mining operations, as depicted in the interior scene of a coal mine from that era. Fast forward to 1913, and we witness "The Coal Strike" through a lithograph published in London. This artwork sheds light on the challenges faced by miners during this tumultuous period. In another painting titled "St Just Tin Miners, " artist Harold Harvey pays homage to the resilience and camaraderie among workers in different mines, and is evident that their reliance on pit ponies was universal across various mining industries. A chromolitho print showcases coal miners at work, highlighting their laborious tasks deep underground. Among them are these loyal companions - pit ponies - who tirelessly pulled heavy loads alongside their human counterparts. Moving ahead to 1967, artist Michael Walters immortalizes South Yorkshire's pit ponies through his artistry. These magnificent creatures served as steadfast companions for miners throughout history. One poignant image captures a moment after settlement when miners lovingly lead their ponies back into the pits in 1915. It symbolizes both relief and gratitude for these invaluable partners who made their dangerous jobs slightly more bearable. Traveling further back to 1886 near Bilston's Bradley coal mine reveals yet another glimpse into this symbiotic relationship between man and beast. A photograph preserves this historical connection forever etched within our collective memory. Across borders, even Paris witnessed labor struggles with its own depiction captured by F Meaulle in 1899. Although not specific to pit ponies alone, it emphasizes how workers worldwide fought for better conditions while relying on these noble creatures below ground. An underground scene from 1860 transports us once again into the depths of a coal mine.