Thomas’s photographs focus on the workers, machinery and environment of the cement works. His aim was to capture “the character of people employed in heavy industry.” He wrote, “In a world of increasing high-tech automation, where machines and computers increasingly do our work for us, there is, I feel, a character and resolve about people who battle with the elements and work manually, that is perhaps being eroded and lost.” The series reflects this concern, drawing attention to the physical and cultural significance of industrial work.

​Dave Thomas (1940–2012) was a British photographer renowned for his evocative documentation of social issues in Yorkshire and the North of England. His notable work includes capturing the annual gatherings of travellers and horse culture enthusiasts at fairs in 1969 and 1970.