‘The Coal Town Collection’ is a new gallery opening at the Woodhorn Museum in Northumberland that’s showcasing the work of Mik Critchlow, a photographer who spent decades documenting life and work in his hometown of Ashington.

Ashington is renowned for its rich seams. There’s the coal, yes, with countless tonnes of it being extracted from the ground down through the centuries. But there’s also the art. Indeed, Ashington was home to the world-renowned The Ashington Group, more popularly known today as The Pitmen Painters. And the works The Ashington Group produced have since inspired others to document the world around them as they see it, not least Mik Critchlow. He caught an exhibition by the group in 1977 and decided he would also explore life and work in the town, but this time through photography. He then spent four decades capturing the town’s coalfield communities – a period in which Ashington and the wider Northumberland area underwent major social, economic and political change. Critchlow died two years ago, but his extraordinary legacy will live on through ‘The Coal Town Collection’, a gallery at Woodhorn Museum dedicated to the photographer. Liz Ritson, Director of Programmes & Engagement at Woodhorn Museum: “With a career spanning almost 45 years, Mik’s work is one of the most important historical archives we have of the end of deep coal mining in Northumberland. It also captures the short and long-term impact of the industry’s closure on coalfield communities. His emotive and deeply personal photographs do more than capture a moment in time; they tell a story of the people and communities he was part of in the town of Ashington. Because of his close connections to the people he photographed, Mik was able to capture deeply personal moments in people’s lives. Throughout his career he sensitively documented moments of joy, sadness, and everyday life within the coalfield communities in Ashington. The new gallery celebrating his extraordinary body of work will give visitors to Woodhrn the opportunity to experience and enjoy his work, in Mik’s own words, ‘…back home where they all belong.’”

Crichlow’s daughter, Shona Brona: “The selected images were personally chosen by my dad back in 2021, capturing community life over four decades and creating a breathtaking display. This permanent home of The Coal Town Collection will ensure not only that his legacy lives on, but also the memories and subjects in the images.”

The Coal Town Collection will open at Woodhorn Museum on 24 May. More info: museumsnorthumberland.org.uk