Visual Journalist - Whitby

My journey to the second location; Whitby

Whitby town is a beautiful, quaint coastal town, that i love to visit. Its full of interesting shops, beautiful walkways, history - the abby, and long strands of beach. 

While there, i aimed to explore as much of the town as possible. - didn't have particular plan - but noted areas of interest. I knew that whitby was full of interesting places, and has many stories to tell. - I was confident that something would inspire me, and this project.

- The abby

- The beach - fossils

- Whitby Jet

- The town itself - shops

- Boats - coastguiard, fishing boats

Before going, i did a lot of secondary research. - mainly focusing on areas of interest. I found that I got a bit carried away in my writing - perhaps too much, but i find it a useful way to structure my research  - as well as responding the information i found - asking questions; how could this develop? Is it interesting? how could i make it interesting? After doing some research I could plan my day around the areas I felt would be the most worth while visiting.

- Examples of documentation. 

(- the full extent of my notes and thought process can be found in my sketchbook)

What I did there.

Once in whitby, my primary method of documenting was taking photographs. I found this to be a really effective way to capture the moments around me. I also think with the limited time i had there, taking photographs enabled me to visit more locations and fact find. 

I did attempt to do some observational drawing but as mentioned - the time was limited and i felt i needed to be on the move. - I plan on creating some drawings from the photographs taken.

Primary research - Contact sheets of photographs taken:

Beach:

I began my adventure bright and early at 9:30am. Luckily it began as a beautiful day; blue skye all round. - what i found there:

Fossils: 

Whitby is well renowned for its fossils; i would know from coming here years ago with my younger brother - to go 'fossil hunting'. I thought that this would be a good way to start the day.

The tide was out meaning we could walk right along the edge of the beach, where lie the fossil rocks. - - searching for the remains proved difficult, but i enjoyed discovering them.

- Its amazing to think that that creature was once alive, swimming in the ancient seas amongst dinosaurs.

The subject initially strikes me as interesting. it seems to fit well with the theme of 'tell an untold story' - how that extinct ancient creature became a lifless fossil, preserved over millions of years.

- Its something unnoticed along the beach - really have to look. - something that people wouldn't necessarily think about.

Photographs taken (below) of one of the many fossils my brother has collected along whitby bay. It soon became apparent that my brother knows a lot about fossils. - i found the information he gave me very useful and feel more informed on the subject.

Jet mining:

After some initial research i knew that this end of the beach is where the jet mining was carried out during the victorian period. 

- Upon getting close the cliffs, I begun to notice where the stone had been chipped away

- small square tunnels - where they would have dug out the jet

- patches of orange dust - left by the jet removed. The evidence of people working there was clear.

The evidence stretched right up to the hight of the cave. - it was difficult to think that working men lost their lives here. 

Other discoveries; 

I really loved photographing around this part of the beach - i really liked the way the camera photographed the water and rocks - picking up small unnoticed details - that i don't think i would have seen without the lens.

From the beach I collected a variety of objects that interested me; such as shells, stones, driftwood, leaves. - could potential inform my project in some way.

(unfortunately these images would not upload to blogger?!)

Jet

-I then moved up into the town centre, which is filled with old quaint shops - sweet shops, traditional pubs, the market, the harbour, but with day going fast, i decided to focus my attention onto the jet trade. - This is such a large part of Whitby's history and success of the town - there are so many jet shops it was difficult to choose.

I decided to visit The whitby Jet Heritage centre, which i heard provided a lot of information about the process of manufacturing jet.

In visiting the location, i have gained a lot of information. Fortunately, Hal Redvers - an artist and owner of the shop was very friendly and had a lot to say. i spent a good hour talking to Hal, and learnt a lot about his trade, and the history of jet.

- he currently works on restoring old pieces of victorian jet jewellery.

(My full conversation and facts can be found in my sketchbook)

When walking into the jest shop i was surprised to find a fully preserved vcorian jet workshop that Hal had acquired. It was really interesting to see how the ject would have been processed - and also seeing the difference between how they worked back then - in a large group, - to how jet is processed now. - by one man. despite using similar tools according to Hal.

- It was amazing to see that the workshop was preserved so perfectly from 100 years ago. - dust filled shoes and coats hung on the walls, onld chocolate tins and tools were left lying around, which I found festinating to look at.

Hal was keen to demonstrate how the machinery would have worked - as well as listing endless facts (as documented in notebook)

Conversation with Hal.

I then visited the whitby jet shop - which was also very insightful. There i was able to watch the Jet being processed. This was at an earlier stage of production than seen at the heritage centre. - here the jet was being cut and polished from its raw form.

Why is it interesting?
- Jet is such an important part of whitbys history - an integral part of the towns success.
- I think combining all the information that i have found about jet - the mining, and the production side - from years ago until present day - i could create an interesting book.
- How could the information be developed? - the book could potentially look at the mining side - focus on the dangers of the whitby jet miner, - working on the cliffs, risking their lives for a stone.
- the Journey of whitby jet - how it begins part of a cliff, cut and processed into a beautiful piece of jewellery.

The SS Rohilla

Unfortunately not much more information was gathered on the tragic boat accident, other than visiting the sight where the event occurred. - as the life guard centre was closed. However I gathered a lot of facts about the event through secondary research; and am still interested in the incident.

( facts can be found documented in my sketchbook)

- Why is it interesting?

- The event hit the small town of whitby hard. - many of the passengers had families living here.

- The event is really tragic - many lost their lives, - some bravely rescuing. I like the idea of telling the story of these brave people.

- A survivors story - some survived. - interested in the woman who also survived the titian who was on board.

- When thinking about how it could be a book - there are so many viewpoints to tell the story from - people on shore, people on the boat, people rescuing.

Concluding thoughts on location trip.

I have thouraghly enjoyed my research day in whitby, i am feeling inspired. - I have a genuine interest into all my possible areas of development and look forward to taking this research further.

I think i made the right choices - in where i chose to visit, and feel that i benefitted from doing some background research before hand - i went to whitby with more intent and focus than if i hadn't - meaning i have been able to use my time efficiently.