Consett
Tommy Harris
Consett
Tommy Harris
A photographic record of everyday life in the steel town of Consett between 1949 and 1979, taken by local newspaper photographer Tommy Harris, capturing community events.
- Photographic
- Communities
- Place
- Northern Documentary
- Portraits
- UK Documentary
- Historical Documentary
- 1968 – 1979
- Historical
- County Durham
- UK
Consett is a series of photographs by Tommy Harris documenting life in the County Durham steel town between 1949 and 1979. Taken while working as a local newspaper photographer and steelworker, the images capture everyday events such as leek shows, sports days and prize-givings. Shot in square format for press use, the photographs are now valued for the incidental details that reveal the character and atmosphere of the town during the height of its industrial years.
These image were acquired as part of Julian Germain’s Steel Works project.
Tommy Harris was a photographer based in Consett, County Durham, who worked for two local newspapers and the Consett Iron Company magazine, alongside his full-time job.
Harris's work gained renewed attention when photographer Julian Germain incorporated his images into the Steel Works project, which documented the socio-economic changes in Consett following the steel industry's decline. By blending Harris's historical photographs with contemporary imagery and family snapshots, the project provided a multifaceted perspective on the town's transformation.
Today, Harris's photographs are valued for their authentic portrayal of mid-20th-century working-class life in an industrial town, offering a unique window into the community's social fabric during that era.
© Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-012-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-013-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-014-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-011-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-004-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-006-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-007-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-001-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-010-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-005-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-003-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-009-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-002-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
Consett, 1949-1979
- Ref: 122-008-LBW
- Date: between 1949-1979
- Artist: Tommy Harris
- Copyright: © Estate of Tommy Harris
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