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1926 GENERAL STRIKE CENTENARY - NEWSPRINTS
How To Vote
This is the newsprint gallery. We have documented everything that was sent to us and created an online gallery that visitors to this site can view.
To vote, simply click on an artwork so it opens in its own page and then click on the heart icon. You can vote for as many artworks as you like. A tally will be counted on the last day of the exhibition (25 October 2026) and the winning entrants - one from each category - will be contacted and presented with £100 worth of Bookaclass vouchers to spend in our art supplies shop in Scarborough.
Andie Cooper
"Listen!" | Oil pastel, charcoal, graphite, acrylic ink
This poster shows a now defunct coal mine headstock. Underground, a canary is urgently warning us about the consequences of burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil. The canary was warning us about global heating and his song is the graph of global temperature increase since 1926.
This poster shows a now defunct coal mine headstock. Underground, a canary is urgently warning us about the consequences of burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil. The canary was warning us about global heating and his song is the graph of global temperature increase since 1926.
Abigail Evans
"Friday 7th May 1926" | Acrylic on newsprint
A quiet moment during the 1926 General Strike. The people are absent, but their presence lingers in the cups, crumbs and chairs left behind. The work reflects the ordinary acts of conversation, hospitality and mutual support that sustained communities through extraordinary times. A tribute to the resilience and solidarity found around an everyday table.
A quiet moment during the 1926 General Strike. The people are absent, but their presence lingers in the cups, crumbs and chairs left behind. The work reflects the ordinary acts of conversation, hospitality and mutual support that sustained communities through extraordinary times. A tribute to the resilience and solidarity found around an everyday table.
Adrian Bramley (Finalist)
"Marion Leading The People" | Ink, watercolour
This is my stylised version of "Liberty Leading the People" by Eugène Delacroix. I've tried to draw parallels with the original (which represents the 1830 Paris revolutionary uprising) to capture something of the sense of injustice and revolution which motivated the unions to strike in 1926. Dr. Marion Phillips is brandishing a flag, and instead of a gun, she holds a miners' lamp, illuminating a destitute family unnoticed in the corner. Dr. Phillips was instrumental in highlighting the plight of starving families of men who were striking. Immediately the T.U.C. called off the strike, Marion formed "The Women's Committee for the Relief of Miners' Wives and Children". She became a champion for working-class families, and Sunderland's first female M.P. in 1929.
This is my stylised version of "Liberty Leading the People" by Eugène Delacroix. I've tried to draw parallels with the original (which represents the 1830 Paris revolutionary uprising) to capture something of the sense of injustice and revolution which motivated the unions to strike in 1926. Dr. Marion Phillips is brandishing a flag, and instead of a gun, she holds a miners' lamp, illuminating a destitute family unnoticed in the corner. Dr. Phillips was instrumental in highlighting the plight of starving families of men who were striking. Immediately the T.U.C. called off the strike, Marion formed "The Women's Committee for the Relief of Miners' Wives and Children". She became a champion for working-class families, and Sunderland's first female M.P. in 1929.
Andrew Marsh
"Fist of Solidarity" | Printing ink — monoprint
With printers on strike, people took printmaking into their own hands. This work attempts to recreate the basic handprinting methods used at the time. No press needed!
With printers on strike, people took printmaking into their own hands. This work attempts to recreate the basic handprinting methods used at the time. No press needed!
Andy Cahill
"What Has Changed?" | Watercolour ink & Posca
The top of the work depicts 2026. The scales of justice are weighed against ordinary people, towards corporate interests and foreign interference on the right. On the opposite side people are clinging to the scales. A P.C. is seen wielding a truncheon behind a demonstrator, holding a placard. The bottom of the work shows 2 flat-capped workers from 1926. The one on the right is eating in a soup kitchen. Between them a P.C. gives them a backward glance.
The top of the work depicts 2026. The scales of justice are weighed against ordinary people, towards corporate interests and foreign interference on the right. On the opposite side people are clinging to the scales. A P.C. is seen wielding a truncheon behind a demonstrator, holding a placard. The bottom of the work shows 2 flat-capped workers from 1926. The one on the right is eating in a soup kitchen. Between them a P.C. gives them a backward glance.
Ann North
"Not a Penny" | Charcoal
Coal miners take centre stage with sympathy strikers all around slogans of the Miners' Federation, TUC, Unemployed Workers Movement and working class industries.
Coal miners take centre stage with sympathy strikers all around slogans of the Miners' Federation, TUC, Unemployed Workers Movement and working class industries.
Annette Groves
"The Ghosts of 1926" | Brusho powders, acrylic paints
"The Ghosts of 1926", it's so easy to forget the struggles of them times. How people came together to survive. We should never forget the struggle of our ancestors.
"The Ghosts of 1926", it's so easy to forget the struggles of them times. How people came together to survive. We should never forget the struggle of our ancestors.
Beverley Robson
"The General Strike 1926" | Charcoal, glue, prints on paper, acrylic ink and pencil
The coal is prominent at the bottom in the foreground, indicating its importance and referred to by the towering wheel. The people in the background become the focal point, framed by the earthy colours, gritty and black, reflecting the mood. Making use of negative space, the faces lead you up and 'into' the painting. They personalise the seemingly random acrylic ink 'spills' and leaflets 'littered' with age, emphasising the 'waste' of it all.
The coal is prominent at the bottom in the foreground, indicating its importance and referred to by the towering wheel. The people in the background become the focal point, framed by the earthy colours, gritty and black, reflecting the mood. Making use of negative space, the faces lead you up and 'into' the painting. They personalise the seemingly random acrylic ink 'spills' and leaflets 'littered' with age, emphasising the 'waste' of it all.
Carol Pope
"Long Hours, Near Starvation Wages" | Charcoal, soft pastel, pen
I used the colours red, black and white to emphasize the depth of the marchers' feelings and frustrations.
I used the colours red, black and white to emphasize the depth of the marchers' feelings and frustrations.
Carol Smith
"Heroines of 1926 (Companion to Postcards)" | Acrylic paint pens, text based print
Women were central to the 1926 General Strike and the long, punishing miners' lockout. Their courage, organising power and sheer solidarity held communities together. Miners' wives and children carried enormous hardship, and their strength deserves to be remembered. My artwork honours these women and the extraordinary role they played. All quotes from: Women and the Miners' Lock-Out by Marion Philips; Birmingham Post 28 April 1976 (Jessie Eden); transcript of speech by Ellen Wilkinson MP to Parliament on 29th June 1926.
Women were central to the 1926 General Strike and the long, punishing miners' lockout. Their courage, organising power and sheer solidarity held communities together. Miners' wives and children carried enormous hardship, and their strength deserves to be remembered. My artwork honours these women and the extraordinary role they played. All quotes from: Women and the Miners' Lock-Out by Marion Philips; Birmingham Post 28 April 1976 (Jessie Eden); transcript of speech by Ellen Wilkinson MP to Parliament on 29th June 1926.
Catriona McKell
"A Tale of Two Sides: The 1926 General Strike" | Pencil, oil pastel, ink, newspaper
I wanted to show two sides to the General Strike by using old photographs and quotes taken from newspapers at the time. The workers side shows the harsh conditions workers of all ages had to endure, whilst the right side of the poster shows high society and their brutalist response against the workers.
I wanted to show two sides to the General Strike by using old photographs and quotes taken from newspapers at the time. The workers side shows the harsh conditions workers of all ages had to endure, whilst the right side of the poster shows high society and their brutalist response against the workers.
Catriona McKell
"The 1926 General Strike Centenary Poster" | Oil pastels and ink
Inspired by Oliver Twist, I decided to do a similar theme with the miners. The famous slogan "Not a penny off the pay. Not a minute on the day" shows the harsh conditions the government were trying to force on the miners which is seen by the simple nature of their clothes, the pleading for more food. The miners resent this casting aside their tools. The government, however, rejects the miners' plea and tells them to go back to work by giving them coal instead of food. The Union Jack suit that the smartly dressed gentleman on the right represents the government.
Inspired by Oliver Twist, I decided to do a similar theme with the miners. The famous slogan "Not a penny off the pay. Not a minute on the day" shows the harsh conditions the government were trying to force on the miners which is seen by the simple nature of their clothes, the pleading for more food. The miners resent this casting aside their tools. The government, however, rejects the miners' plea and tells them to go back to work by giving them coal instead of food. The Union Jack suit that the smartly dressed gentleman on the right represents the government.
Chris Eastham
"Unity is Strength" | Monoprint & block print, oil based inks
'Unity is Strength' celebrates the vital role women played during the 1926 General Strike. It recognises the courage, resilience and collective power of women, past and present, in the pursuit of justice and equality.
'Unity is Strength' celebrates the vital role women played during the 1926 General Strike. It recognises the courage, resilience and collective power of women, past and present, in the pursuit of justice and equality.
Chris Pig (Finalist)
"Union is Strength" | Printing ink, bronze powder
This is a collection of anarchist slogans and quotes that have been used in other artworks assembled together here against an Indian textile block background in reference to the solidarity shown by Lancashire cotton workers to the cause of Indian independence. Up the workers!
This is a collection of anarchist slogans and quotes that have been used in other artworks assembled together here against an Indian textile block background in reference to the solidarity shown by Lancashire cotton workers to the cause of Indian independence. Up the workers!
Christopher Playford
"The Steam of Industry" | Charcoal (vine, powdered + Conté pencil)
A miner stands. Staring, hopeless as he is consumed by the steam of industry. On closer inspection he stands with his fellows against unsafe working conditions, against old and broken equipment. Against an oppressive government.
A miner stands. Staring, hopeless as he is consumed by the steam of industry. On closer inspection he stands with his fellows against unsafe working conditions, against old and broken equipment. Against an oppressive government.
Claire Madden (Finalist)
"Blackened, Not Broken" | Charcoal
Blackened, Not Broken depicts the hands of coal miners during the 1926 General Strike, bearing the physical marks of labour, endurance and solidarity. Rendered in charcoal, a carbon-based medium of the earth, the drawing creates a direct material connection between the artwork and the miners whose work brought carbon from deep underground. The piece stands as a tribute to the dignity and resilience of those whose labour powered a nation and whose collective action shaped British history.
Blackened, Not Broken depicts the hands of coal miners during the 1926 General Strike, bearing the physical marks of labour, endurance and solidarity. Rendered in charcoal, a carbon-based medium of the earth, the drawing creates a direct material connection between the artwork and the miners whose work brought carbon from deep underground. The piece stands as a tribute to the dignity and resilience of those whose labour powered a nation and whose collective action shaped British history.
Clare MacArthur
"The General Strike 1926" | Watercolour, pastels, pen and marker on newsprint
Clare Trowell (Finalist)
"Workers' Rights Are Human Rights" | Ink, charcoal, acrylic paint and linoprint
A celebration of trade unions, strikes and protest, which have won labour rights we need to protect. Labour rights will be needed more than ever in an uncertain digital and technological future of artificial intelligence. The work is inspired by constructivism.
A celebration of trade unions, strikes and protest, which have won labour rights we need to protect. Labour rights will be needed more than ever in an uncertain digital and technological future of artificial intelligence. The work is inspired by constructivism.
Coleen Duff
"Solidarity" | Acrylics, pencil
This work celebrates the courage and collective power of the 1926 General Strike. It asks what remains of that spirit today, reminding us that amid deepening inequality, collective action remains a formidable force for justice and change.
This work celebrates the courage and collective power of the 1926 General Strike. It asks what remains of that spirit today, reminding us that amid deepening inequality, collective action remains a formidable force for justice and change.
Danielle Cowman (Finalist)
"A Voice For The Workers" | Willow charcoal + compressed charcoal
This portrait captures the raw emotion and determination of a striking worker. The placard, despite being only partially visible, grounds the portrait in one of Britain's most significant industrial disputes and highlights the courage of ordinary people who stood together to fight for workers' rights.
This portrait captures the raw emotion and determination of a striking worker. The placard, despite being only partially visible, grounds the portrait in one of Britain's most significant industrial disputes and highlights the courage of ordinary people who stood together to fight for workers' rights.
Deborah Mason (Finalist)
"Demonstration of Love" | Newspaint, pen, re-used tissue paper, glue
The central theme is one of coming together as a community & using love & kindness as radical weapons against the status quo. It also uses the fragility of the medium as a reflection on the fragility & erosion of our rights to protest. I have also played with the old idiom of 'putting it down in black & white' as a nod to how printed news was once seen as 'truth' and I imagined this as a full page 'ad' exhorting us all to protest the status quo, strengthen our communities & care for one another.
The central theme is one of coming together as a community & using love & kindness as radical weapons against the status quo. It also uses the fragility of the medium as a reflection on the fragility & erosion of our rights to protest. I have also played with the old idiom of 'putting it down in black & white' as a nod to how printed news was once seen as 'truth' and I imagined this as a full page 'ad' exhorting us all to protest the status quo, strengthen our communities & care for one another.
Deborah Turnbull (Finalist)
"Middlesbrough's Strike 1926" | Mixed media (acrylic, ink, collage, pencil)
I have taken events that happened in Middlesbrough during the Nine-Day General Strike 1926 and condensed them into a front-page illustration. The piece follows the authentic layout and style of newspapers from 1926, while incorporating contrasting visual details that reflect how news is reported today.
I have taken events that happened in Middlesbrough during the Nine-Day General Strike 1926 and condensed them into a front-page illustration. The piece follows the authentic layout and style of newspapers from 1926, while incorporating contrasting visual details that reflect how news is reported today.
Donna Phillips
Éamonn Kirke (Finalist)
"Bread and Roses" | Newspaper, crepe paper, PVA, watercolour, marker pen
A collage representing all those who protested and, in some cases gave their lives, for the cause of workers/civil rights in Britain in 1926 and at other times around the world. It pays particular homage to the women who were often undermined, underrated, underappreciated and unseen at the time as well as to other minorities who fought their own battles. The script around the edge is from the protest song Bread and Roses, written by James Oppenheimer in 1911/12 and associated with the Lawrence Massachusetts textile workers strike of 1912. It powerfully makes the point that work should enable people not just to put bread on the table but to experience beauty in all its forms.
A collage representing all those who protested and, in some cases gave their lives, for the cause of workers/civil rights in Britain in 1926 and at other times around the world. It pays particular homage to the women who were often undermined, underrated, underappreciated and unseen at the time as well as to other minorities who fought their own battles. The script around the edge is from the protest song Bread and Roses, written by James Oppenheimer in 1911/12 and associated with the Lawrence Massachusetts textile workers strike of 1912. It powerfully makes the point that work should enable people not just to put bread on the table but to experience beauty in all its forms.
Elizabeth Roe
"Jessie Eden with Headlines" | Gouache and rice bran wax pastel on paper
Jessie Eden was a union steward for the Transport and General Workers' Union. She led 10,000 women out on strike in 1931, having led her section out in 1926 (many of the workers were non-unionised in 1926). Here, she is depicted with some of the misinformation and propaganda she stood against. She was an outspoken advocate for social justice and deserves to be better known.
Jessie Eden was a union steward for the Transport and General Workers' Union. She led 10,000 women out on strike in 1931, having led her section out in 1926 (many of the workers were non-unionised in 1926). Here, she is depicted with some of the misinformation and propaganda she stood against. She was an outspoken advocate for social justice and deserves to be better known.
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