Pitheads 1974

"Pitheads" is a photographic work created by Bernd and Hilla Becher in 1974. The piece is a grid of nine black and white photographs, documenting various industrial structures known as pitheads, which are the winding towers and machinery used in coal mines. The Bechers' approach to photographing these structures, which they referred to as "typological photography," aimed to objectively record the functional beauty of industrial architecture and highlight its repetitive forms. The meticulous detail and clarity of the images capture the stark beauty of these industrial structures, cementing their place as influential figures in the history of photography.