Land of Iron displays unseen images of Skinningrove's past

A new exhibition, Life in The Iron Valley, will showcase early work prints created Graham Smith and Chris Killip between 1981 and 1984 for the first time, alongside a collection of archival digital prints of Skinningrove.

The display aims to celebrate the lives and landscape of the small North Yorkshire village during a time when fishing and steelworking were integral aspects of the community.

The exhibition is set to take place at Skinningrove’s Land of Iron museum from March 16 to September 14.

This image by Graham Smith, a rare image of Skinningrove, will be part of the Life in The Iron Valley exhibition (Image: LAND OF IRON)

The images were collected and given to the museum by local artist and historian Stan Binks. The prints, annotated by Binks with details of the people pictured and the approximate dates of each image, give the collection a distinctive touch of authenticity separate from traditional gallery displays.

Land of Iron’s Chief Executive, Marie Woods said: "The images were given to village residents by the photographers and over the years these were collated by local artist Stan Binks, who also had a passion for Skinningrove’s history.

"Stan then kindly donated his archive to the museum."

She added: "The exhibition celebrates and remembers the legacy of the people of Skinningrove.

"It is with thanks to Killip and Smith that we have these images and that we are able to showcase what life was truly like in the Iron Valley."

This image of Skinningrove by Chris Killip has been annotated by Stan Binks (Image: LAND OF IRON)

Born in the Isle of Man in 1946, Mr Killip began his career in commercial photography before shifting his focus to his own work later on.

His photo collection, In Flagrante, which spotlighted the North East during the 1970s and early 80s, is now deemed a key work in documentary photography.

Middlesbrough-born Mr Smith studied at Middlesbrough College of Art and the Royal College of Art in London.

Most read:

• Wensleydale Fryer returns to Yorkshire Dales heritage railway
• Easyjet launch flights to Amsterdam from Newcastle Airport
• County Durham fish and chip shop wins 2 national awards

Start the month with unlimited access to local news. Get two months of our digital newspaper for just £2.

During the 1970s, he was one of the leading figures in the formation of the Side Gallery in Newcastle.

Over two decades, he captured images of Middlesbrough and the neighbouring steelworks town South Bank, where his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather worked in the ironworks.

Mr Smith's story about his father was featured in Granta, and his photographs are part of the permanent collections in major institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Victoria, and Albert Museum, London, and the National Gallery of Art, Washington.