A photographer so enamoured with the mining sites of Canada and especially the Drumheller Valley, has spent over four decades working and making photos.
And now he has handed over a significant collection of his work to the Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site.
Lawrence Chrismas has donated more than 250 of his photographs to the museum. This collection “documents the region’s coal mining heritage, featuring portraits of Drumheller Valley miners, their families, homesteads, and mining infrastructure,” notes a release.
"Recently when I reached an old age, I decided I should find a permanent home for my Drumheller region photographs, and the Atlas became my number one choice to receive this collection," says Lawrence Chrismas. "Old-timers frequently told me that after long years of digging coal, they missed their job and fellow miners—many were proud of their life in mining. My objective as a documentary photographer has been to show the positive side of coal mining."
In a previous interview with the Mail, he explains that fresh out of college he went to work with the Department of Mines and Energy, and for the first time stepped into the valley in 1969.
About a decade later he was in Canmore to see the last mine there close. From that point, he began his life work of photographing and documenting the history of the mines and the lives of the miners.
“It grew from there, I realized I was doing something of considerable historic value and people were enjoying my photographs and stories of the miners,” he said.
He has been honoured for his work. Coal Dust Grins was published in 1998 and featured miners from across the country. It was which was shortlisted for the Roloff Beny Photography Book Award. His work has also been exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada, the Glenbow and the Whyte Museum of the Rockies. He is a Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) inductee.
In 2011, the centennial year of mining in the valley, he published Coal in the Valley: Drumheller Miner Photographs and Stories.
“This collection of remarkable photographs is truly an honour to have in the Atlas collection. Many of the individuals featured in these images were part of the local workforce and still have family members in the community,” says Jessica Fleury-Schatz, Executive Director of the Atlas Coal Mine. “At the Atlas, we foster a sense of belonging by sharing the stories and experiences of this unique place. These images will enrich our research and deepen our interpretation of mining life in the Drumheller Valley. We anticipate an exhibit showcasing a selection of these photographs in the near future.”
Photo courtesy C.Schatz Film & Photography
