Activity 1a: Observing Texts

Instead of the Doulton Fountain I have chosen to look at a memorial to the 1913 Cadder Pit Disaster
Questions
•What are the most prominent features?
·      The stone disc on the top with the engraving around the edge
·      The size of the memorial
·      The stones supporting it

•What do you notice first?
·      The writing around the edge of the disk which reads ‘In memory of the twenty two miners who lost their lives in the Cadder Pit Disaster’
·      Followed by the image in the middle which now looks a bit indistinct possibly from the weather or touch. It’s difficult to see that it’s actually an image of mining equipment
•What features take time before you notice them?
·      The stone on the front with each of the miners’ name carved into it. This is very low down and when I first walked up to the memorial I didn’t see it.
·      I think it’s interesting that this would be the first thing that a child in a pram or someone sitting on the opposite side of the courtyard would notice, but standing right next to all but renders the names as invisible - demonstrates the importance of individual perspective
•Where is the Memorial in relation to everything else in the area?
·      It’s tucked off into the side, near some trees and shrubs
·      By a bike rack
·      People walk past it easily without noticing it
·      But its position next to the local library makes it more likely to be seen and also ties it into community life
How much space does it take?
·      It’s quite tall and very wide, about the size of a large café table
·      However it’s position on the courtyard almost makes it look smaller as the picture shows
•How does it fit in with everything else, or how does everything else fit in with it?
·      Given the colour and style of the bricks used in the cairn as well as the moss which is beginning to cover it, it almost blends into the surrounding area

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