Colin Jones; Grafters

by Mark Haworth-Booth, Colin Jones (Photographer)

Colin Jones followed an unusual path into photography, having been a dancer with the Royal Ballet until his late 20s. While on tour in the north of England he began to take pictures of the mining communities and it was not long before he had given up dancing to begin his new career, landing a job at the Observer alongside photographers such as Philip Jones Griffiths and Don McCullin. Jones' subjects are working people: miners, shipbuilders, dockers and dancers. This rigorous monograph assimilates Jones' best work to date. Timelessly captivating, it is a revealing tale of industrial post-war Britain, and a moving portrait of poverty and physical hardship endured with dignity.

Genres: Photography

144 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Mary Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This week I listened to an audiobook, This Boy: The Early Lives of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Then I experienced this book, a collection of photographs taken in post-war northern England--including Liverpool, where the Beatles grew up. Editor Haworth-Booth explains that the word "graft" is British slang for hard work, usually physical work, especially constant work and struggle. The Beatles connection came to me mid-book; I didn't buy it for that. I bought it because its black and white photographs are beautiful and haunting, and staring at them gives me a chance to visit the world of my parents. Sometimes photography collections are good for time travel.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The images that Colin captured with is camera really shows just how gifted one must be to know what to look for. The dept and purity of his images strikes the viewer in a way as if to put them into that moment as it is happening. There is dept, emotion, clarity, and life all wrapped up in a single moment.

The sections of this book are broken up as follows
1. Intro
2. Life
3. Coal
4. Ships
5. Time Off
6. Dance


All these photographs are in the United Kingdom (London, South Wales, Liverpool, Sunderland. etc). Any fan of old photography needs to sit down and turn each page slowly to get the full effect in order to get the full effect that the photographer got at that moment. The sweeping landscape pictures will leave you with a new appreciation for blank and white photography.