Casgliadau Arlein

Photograph showing three quarrymen splitting and dressing slate by hand outside one of the gwaliau (an open-fronted shed where slates were split and trimmed) at Dinorwig Quarry. The quarryman on the left hand side of the photograph is sat on a ‘trafael’ (a bench with a fixed iron blade), dressing a roofing slate using a ‘cyllell naddu’ (a slate trimming knife). The quarryman in the centre is sat on a ‘blocyn tîn’ (a slate splitter’s seat), splitting a block of slate using a ‘Rhys Bach’ (a mallet made of African Oak) and a cŷn manhollt (a wide and slim chisel). The quarryman on the right is kneeling down, splitting a block of slate using a ‘cŷn brashollt’ (a wide wedge for splitting blocks) and a ‘mwrthwl dragio’ (a hammer, usually weighing three and a half pounds).

The quarrymen are wearing light coloured trousers, known as ‘ffustion’, shirts and waistcoats, and hob nailed boots. Two quarrymen are wearing flat caps, and the third is wearing a bowler hat. The clothes suggest that the photograph was taken during the early 20th century.

The quarryman in the centre is William Humphreys of Gwastadnant, Nant Peris.

The photograph is believed to be taken at Ponc California, Dinorwig Quarry, as according to the donor this is where her grandfather worked.