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Andy Lattal and Jaclyn Tandler in Nord Pas-de-Calais

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Marion Dupire-Declerk, Fulbright 2011 and her husband, Loïc, invited Andy et Jaclyn to Nord Pas-de-Calais for a day of exploration. After a nice lunch in a restaurant with Flemish-inspired decor, the group set out for the Centre Historique Minier (Mining History Center) where they discovered the harsh conditions of the miners that used to work there.

This photo was taken at the beginning of the guided visit. From left to right: Andy, Jaclyn, Marion and Loïc.

The beginning of the visit, before descending into the galleries.

The galleries: The guide explained that mines where the workers were able to stand were rare. Most miners were forced to work on their knees!

At the junction of two galleries. The guide turned on the machines and the group was shocked by the intensity of the noise. This was another example of just how hard the working conditions were.

“Better to have the dust here than there ”

The Drying Room: After a hard day of work the miners would wash their clothes and hang them up to dry in this room. This drying system was space-efficient and allowed for workers to get the grime out of their clothes!