Running head: MAURICE BROOMFIELD AND BRITISH INDUSTRIALISM

The Varying Aspects of Maurice Broomfields Photography in

Relation to the British Industrial Golden Age
Sarah Hite
Rose State College

Abstract

Running head: MAURICE BROOMFIELD AND BRITISH INDUSTRIALISM

This paper explores biographical and historical information; additionally, the professional
influence pertaining to the photographer Maurice Broomfield. It incorporates seven sources in
order to establish Broomfields stylistic form, intentions and the following consequences. This
paper discusses the perceived significance of the British Industrial Golden Age and its expression
through his photographs. It explores the novelty and the timeliness of the relationship between
man, machine and the somewhat eloquent nature that can be interpreted. A few various sources
renown Broomfields work as holding significant historical importance. Whereas, other articles
repute the importance of his work as an artistic revolutionary, because of his use of techniques
like the chiaroscuro effect. Addressing a few facets of his noteworthiness, the paper will outline
what events led to and maintained Broomfields influence as a photographer. Through personal
experience and a lasting rapport, Broomfield utilized his talents in order to personify the
industrialized Britain. By recounting the sourced information on his stylistic parameters, the
paper will explain why his photographs remain an example of the most dramatic and intimate in
history.

The Varying Aspects of Maurice Broomfields Photography in

Running head: MAURICE BROOMFIELD AND BRITISH INDUSTRIALISM

Relation to the British Industrial Golden Age

Before the occupation of machines and automatic assembly lines in factories, there were
men and women performing dangerous and tedious tasks in order to produce the necessary
products Britain required. Ranging from nylon stockings to the propellors on a luxury cruise
ship, these individuals were trusted however remained unseen and unacknowledged. Having
grown up in a time of tremendous shifts in industrialism; Maurice Broomfields inspiration and
focus was those men and women. The young man dedicated his life to pursue the beauty hidden
in unsuspected places. When musing high-culture the last place thought of would be an assembly
line or a dirty blue collar gentleman. Broomfield dramatized the dedication and pride those
individuals carried by capturing the laughter and light hearted nature juxtaposed with the heavy
steel and dangerous environments. His experience and humility helped create a timeline of
industrial Britain in its golden age. To help understand the depths of his dedication and artistic
abilities, this paper will construct a background of Broomfield, British Industrialism and the
correlation between the two.
Literature Review
The Industrial Revolution as described by Bindman and Morgan (1988) provided new
techniques and working conditions therefore changing the relationship between the production of
art and other objects; which in turn, led to the changes in the status of the art objects and their
producers. It gathered momentum in the mid 18c. and by 1850 industrialization provided British
artists with subjects they treated in ways sublime, picturesque, moralizing or reportorial, yet
rarely were they critically engaged with its implications (Bindman and Morgan, 1988, para. 3).
This perception of production created a sense of pride in Britain; people would work long hours
for little pay just to be a participant in the innovative work. Broomfield was a pioneer by

Running head: MAURICE BROOMFIELD AND BRITISH INDUSTRIALISM

becoming critically engaged with the implications of the environments and subjects of his
photographs. He achieved this because in his youth he developed experience with assembly lines
and factories, as a result his work is deemed historically trailblazing.
Levys (2010) article outlined Broomfields upbringing, Maurice Broomfield was born
February 2, 1916, in Draycott, Derbyshire. In 1931, at 15, he left school to work on the
production line at the Royal-Royce factory while also attending Derby college of design. His
experiences at college led to a series of odd jobs in art and photography. In 1935, he was working
at the Rowntrees sweet factory designing promotional graphics for Black Magic Chocolates. He
would use their dark rooms so late into the night that his tardiness in the morning led to his
termination; however, he continued to sneak in and utilize the dark room. Broomfields
publisher, John Levy recalled the story, One night, when Maurice thought he was alone in the
building, he was disturbed by Seebohm Rowntree, the then director. Rowntree was so impressed
to find an employee working at such a late hour that he duly reinstated the young Broomfield
(Levy, 2010, para. 7). This example provides an insight into what kind of man Broomfield was,
up until his death he was reviewed as humble, personable and devout to his art. Levy (2010)
continued to explain that during the second world war Broomfield worked in the Friends
Ambulance Unit helping casualties of the blitz. Afterwards he travelled Europe photographing
the aftermath of the war and the destruction of the cities. His return to the UK met the boom of
industrial production, where his most famous art was produced. In partnership with the
established commercial and portrait photographer Yvonne Cumbers Middleton Maurice
launched himself into the project that was to last him the next 30 years documenting the
heyday of industry through its factories, its process and, above all, its workers (Levy, 2010,
para. 8, 9). In an introduction written by Roberts (2009), Broomfields portraits of men and

Running head: MAURICE BROOMFIELD AND BRITISH INDUSTRIALISM

women at work in heavy manufacturing in the British Isles and far away lands define an era of
industry and travel (Roberts, 2009, para. 1). His dedication mirrored his outlook on fate; it
could have all too easily been him as the subject photographed as an assembly worker. His
education in design and art helped pave the way for a new future, as well as, create a lasting
historical impression of who the real artists were.
The drama of industrialism helped shape Broomfields interest in bringing an insight to
those who would never see the inside workings of it. According to a cultural obituary by the
writers at The Telegraph (2010), his experience as an assembly worker further inspired his
affinity for industrial workers, whom he portrayed as noble people doing skilled and sometimes
dangerous jobs (The Telegraph, 2010, para. 5). The distinguishable difference between the
given sources is their insight into Broomfields historical impact versus his influence as a
photographer. Some say his humility was what brought the illustriousness to his artistry. This
unintentional historical-footprint came through capturing the optimistic sprit of postwar
industrialism when Britain thought it would become, what The Telegraph (2010) called, the
workshop of the world (The Telegraph, 2010, para. 1).
Discussion
Maurice Broomfield lived during a time of new beginnings concerning industrialism. He
began working in factories shortly after their introduction and he witnessed the removal of
humans from the field of work. Imagine, a factory worker posed in the 1950s preparing a loom;
fast forward to 2015, in their replacement now stands a cold machine performing the same work.
Broomfields biographical background is what mused him, the removal of the very heart of his
pictures is something he lived to see as well. The aforementioned discussion referenced the
sources that renown Broomfield for his historical footprint. He once captured jobs that are now

Running head: MAURICE BROOMFIELD AND BRITISH INDUSTRIALISM

nonexistence, thereby creating a visual timeline. However, there are those that believe his fervid
photographs were the key to his lasting fame. Does his placement in history effect the drama of
his art? Are his images as impressive if not for the vibrant postwar fever everyone was in, when
Britain was expected to be the workshop of the world?
Personal Expectations
When examining the influence of Broomfields work, it deduces a sense of artistic virtue.
As opposed to his intention solely being encompassing the postwar state of mind, his prominence
as an artist is attributed to his attraction to environmental pulchritude, technique and
composition. Broomfield's personal expectations are examined further below along with sources
who perceive the allure as theatrical, transformative and innovative regarding photographic art.
Environmental pulchritude. Caplin (2010), had the fortune of interviewing Broomfield
soon before his death in October of 2010. She asked about his work in the 1950s working as a
newspaper photographer for The Financial Times and the then managing director. Broomfield
recalled, I was fortunate: Lord Drogheda had a great interest in the arts. He said he liked the
way I regarded industry as a stage set. And he was right, I did see it as magical; thats why my
lighting became quite theatrical (Caplin, 2010, para. 6). When automation was introduced into
the industry and the Depression hit America, Broomfield went elsewhere with his lens. The
subject of his photographs had been tampered with and the factories he cherished were closing.
Caplin (2010) questioned Broomfield about this and the current financial free-fall, There was a
human relationship between the man and his product. I think the recovery will be quicker
[than the Depression] because now theres a culture of replacing everything, and once you buy
into obsolescence, you cant suddenly stop. In Sheffield they used to say Buy Sheffield Steel
and it will last forever, whereas now, we dont want things to last forever (Caplin, 2010, para.

Running head: MAURICE BROOMFIELD AND BRITISH INDUSTRIALISM

9). Broomfield suggested a need for theater and longevity, his photographs have inspired both.
He was sent across the world to photograph factories owned by art lovers like Lord Drogheda;
simply because of their curiosity of not knowing what happens there and what possible
promotions could come from such a visionary. His usage of both high and low-key photos
presented his audiences with a utopian of man and machine cooperation. Inspiring people in
unforeseen ways, his vision of the hardworking man or woman seeped through his lens and into
his art which evoked sentiment from all audiences. He was exposed to many scenarios and
situations to which any artist could be inspired; but the true magnitude of his art was reflected
through his subjects and their environments. Harding (2007) explained in his essay how
Broomfields focus on the individual stands out among earlier documentary evidence which,
Tended to concentrate on prestigious construction, engineering or civil engineering projects.
Individual workers were frequently excluded from such photographs (Harding, 2007, p. 3).
That sort of initiative of environmental photography aides his celebrity.
Technique and Composition. According to the foregoing article from The Telegraph
(2010), He aimed for a sense of choreographed theatre and, inspired by the Bauhaus maxim of
unifying art and technology, showed how beauty can be found in function. Broomfield would
often ask for the lights in the factories to be turned off so that he could use hidden lighting for
dramatic chiaroscuro effect. Some images were so other-worldly they were almost surreal (The
Telegraph, 2010, para. 1, 2). This sort of manipulation of the light aroused his audiences,
creating a strikingly pleasant snapshot. Sources outline his artistry through his use of well known
techniques and formats. The Encyclopedia Britannica (2015) defines chiaroscuro as a technique
employed in the visual arts to represent light and shadow as they define three-dimensional
objects a harsh, dramatic light to isolate their figures and heighten their emotional tension

Running head: MAURICE BROOMFIELD AND BRITISH INDUSTRIALISM

(The Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015, para. 1, 2). The technique is crucial, his dramatic influence
also is tied to his use of black and white or colored photographs. He utilized many fundamental
characteristics of the medium in photography; in consonance with Harding (2007), Stylistically,
Broomfield was heavily influenced by the 1920s evolving aesthetic Neue Sachlichkeit ('New
Objectivity) New Objectivity emphasized sharp focus, strong composition, unusual camera
angles and dramatic use of lighting. Its modern, avant-garde aesthetic was deemed to be ideally
suited to advertising, architectural and industrial subjects (Harding, 2007, para. 10). The
dramatic lighting brought on the full intended effect. Broomfield indeed utilized the pride of the
workers but he also empathized with them. He tried to capture them as individuals and he did so
by employing certain formats and manipulating the environment. Emboldened by their spirit and
his own intentions, the produced work became savored and admired.
Conclusion
When examining the life and work of Maurice Broomfield it is important to
account for his historical and artistic affluence, both of which directly correlate to his
background. As a child of the ever-changing industrialized world, he fell in love with the grit,
grime and the individuals who worked everyday among it. He was inspired by their go-getting
nature in performing unenviable tasks, simply because they were apart of something larger than
themselves. Through his methodology and techniques he produced a window into that world,
forever preserving the spirit. As a pair, historically and influentially Maurice Broomfield
preserved something larger than himself; he allowed the postwar spirit to be forever
recognizable. Putting faces to pride and names to the unacknowledged, the artist gave his
audiences something to keep of a dying community and way of life. In the words of his surviving
son, Nick Broomfield a documentary filmmaker, My father was an enormous inspiration to me.

Running head: MAURICE BROOMFIELD AND BRITISH INDUSTRIALISM

His sense of poetry and romance are so alive in his pictures. He celebrated life and so do his
pictures.

Running head: MAURICE BROOMFIELD AND BRITISH INDUSTRIALISM

10

References
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Caplin. (2010). Maurice Broomfields photographs of industrial Britain. The Financial Times
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Chiaroscuro. (2015). Encyclopaedia Britannica (para. 1, 2). Retrieved from http://
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Roberts. (2009). Maurice Broomfield Photographs. FOTO8 (para. 1). Retrieved from http://
www.foto8.com/live/maurice-broomfield-photographs-2/