Project Description

Oil on panel

Dimensions : 38 cm x 46 cm

Signed lower right and dated 1951

Mining Landscape Courrieres (Nord Pas de Calais)

Our work humbly describes with bright colors this mining context so full of history.

The Courrières mines company is a mining company that has operated coal mines in Pas-de-Calais, in France, and who also owned factories and laundries. It is established in the middle of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining basin. It is particularly known for the Courrières disaster which caused the death of 1 099 minors 10 mars 1906.

The foundation

Founded in 1849, she opened a first well in Courrières, the exploitation of which began the following year. The concession is granted on 5 August 1852, at the same time as that of Dourges, then an extension 27 August 1854. Finally, a final extension 25 July 1874 brings the surface area of ​​the concession to 5 459 hectares. A pit n^O 2, located further south, in a better deposit, begins to produce 1856. From there, the openings of pits follow one another. From 1898 at the beginning of the years 1910, secondary wells are opened near most of the Company's pits.

The Courrières disaster

the 10 mars 1906, surviving miners remain stuck in the mines because the wells were clogged.

The pit n^O 21 – 22 was opened just before the First World War, during which the installations are destroyed by the invader.

La reconstruction

The reconstruction mainly takes place around 1920. In 1928, a pit n^O 23, equipped with a single well, has started, and extracted from 1929. Finally, the Company opens respectively in 1931 and 1935 the wells of the pit n^O 24 – 25 in Estevelles, in a still unexploited part to the northwest of the concession, near the concessions of the Meurchin and Carvin companies.

After World War II, the Company was nationalized in 1946, and integrates, with the Compagnie des mines de Drocourt and the southern pits of the Compagnie des mines de Dourges concession, the Hénin-Liétard Group.

Due to its merger at the end of the years 1960 with the Oignies Group briefly forms the Center Group.

From 1971 at 1978, the pits remaining in activity are part of the Courrières or Ostricourt production unit, from 1978 at 1980, of the Western Sector, and finally, from 1980 at 1987, of Headquarters n^O 3 of Courrières for the pits n^os 3 – 15, 5 – 12 and 6 – 14. The pit n^O 24 – 25 Is she attached to Headquarters? n^O 10 of Oignies.

The latter ceases to operate at the same time as the last pits of the mining basin at the end of 1990.

https://www.courrieres.fr/

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