"The Bargain men" Gunnerside · AditNow Community

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

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mistericeman
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Newbie Topic Starter

6 years ago

Short film from the BFI archive ...

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-the-bargain-men-1976-online

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Morlock
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Newbie

6 years ago

Very nice bit of history.:)

John Lawson
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Newbie

6 years ago

Hi an interesting film, pity they ran pictures of mines which were North of England ones, but not of this area, as if they were!
I would have hoped that having featured on Sir George Denys, they would have highlighted his main contribution to the driving of Sir Francis Level,namely the introduction of compressed air drilling, and the use of dynamite.
Also the lack of underground pictures makes one wonder what Research actually went into the making of this film?

christwigg
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Newbie

6 years ago

Well, I for one thoroughly enjoyed it, I think it's pretty unfair to be trashing something made in 1976.

Yes, there were photos of other mines, but there aren't that many photos of the mines in the area.

And I highly doubt 1970's film camera would have handled a trip up Sir Francis Level for good underground shots.

Poor research ?
The technical consultant was Bernard Jennings who went on to write "The History of Lead Mining in the Pennines" with Arthur Raistrick

John Lawson
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

6 years ago

Hi Chris,
Had notrealised that Bernard Jennings was the consultant to this particular film!
However that said it makes my comments even more pertinent!
As you are aware, on pages 196=197 of Lead mining in the Pennines, it gives the details of Sir George’s contract to take over the driving of Sir Francis Level.
At the time of making the film, films such as underground journey had been made, so I think that it would not be all that demanding to take some pictures, or film underground.
Bernard himself I have been told would not venture underground! Perhaps that is another contributing factor?
He also should have been aware of Crabtree’s article on Sir Francis mine which was published in 1963! Complete with genuine underground photographs!

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

6 years ago

Perhaps, but only a few subject matter experts are ever going to spot the problems, and for the intended audience of the "general public in 1976" it was well done.

John Lawson
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

6 years ago

Hi Chris,
Maybe the average punter watching this film in the Seventies did not see the problems, but that is what ‘the expert ‘ was presumably paid money to avoid?
I am just an interested person, and I can see the transformation of Nenthead pictures to Swaledale, so bearing in mind with the advent of digital proliferation of pictures, my guess is that numbers of these informed ‘ people is likely to increase.