Arthur Lockwood Digital Exhibition

Arthur Lockwood’s art documenting the Coventry Colliery demolition is intriguing. While photography might seem more accurate, his drawings capture the essence of buildings and their changes. Lockwood aimed to record industrial subjects that were disappearing, combining factual documentation with historical interest, making his work unique.

Coventry Colliery, in Keresley, began in 1912 and started full coal production in 1918. By 1935, it was Warwickshire’s largest colliery, employing 1,800 men and producing 20,000 tonnes of coal weekly. British Coal closed it in 1991, and despite efforts, it finally shut down in 1996.

From 1 January to 31 March, the old winding engine at Caphouse Colliery will be replaced with a modern version. The 1987 winder will be preserved and displayed at the Museum.

This series of paintings provides a detailed account of colliery sites and the industrial process of dismantling the coal-mining industry’s remnants. The drawings in the National Coal Mining Museum Collection help us understand the dismantling of the winding engines at Coventry Colliery in 1997 and Caphouse Colliery in 2025.

Arthur Lockwood (1934- 2019) was born in Birmingham during the industrial boom. He was inspired by his Huddersfield born father, a commercial artist for Cadbury’s, to pursue art and painting from an early age.

He refined his artistic skills at Bournville School of Art and Birmingham College of Art, later advancing his studies at the Royal College of Art in London. Initially, Arthur had a successful career as a book designer, but in the 1980s, he reignited his passion for painting.

In 1987, he returned to the West Midlands to document the region’s transformation. Arthur travelled extensively, capturing the decline of factories, collieries, foundries, and terraced housing, which were being replaced by modern developments.

He spent countless hours drawing on-site, often in challenging conditions, and later added watercolour washes in his studio to enhance the emotional impact of his work. Arthur’s fascination with the region’s factories and industrial processes is evident in his detailed drawings, paintings and annotations, making his work a poignant record of a changing industrial landscape.