Coal Breaker

circa 1943
Thrash, Dox

Object Details

TITLE:
Coal Breaker
DATE:
circa 1943
MEDIUM:
Carborundum mezzotint and etching
DIMENSIONS:
9 7/8 x 6 7/8 in.
CREDIT LINE:
Museum purchase, 2007

Not currently on view

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Description

Pennsylvania was home to nearly all coal breakers or coal processing plants in the United States. Coal breakers were an indispensable part of the Commonwealth’s economy, but they also caused the premature death of many workers. Here the coal breaker is fortress-like in its size and sinister appearance. Dox Thrash produced this print using his innovative carborundum technique: he used a flatiron to rub carborundum powder on a copper plate. The process yields dark tones ranging from soft blacks in the shadows to lighter hues on the facade of the complex.

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