Fathers of Steel

Concept

Commemorating Henry Bolckow and John Vaughan, the fathers of the steel industry who lived and worked side by side in Queen’s Square, Middlesbrough. Designed by We Built the World and printed carbon neutrally on eco-friendly, 290gsm Hahnemühle Bamboo paper, offering a smooth, natural, warm-toned surface, matt finish and maximum ageing resistance.

Background

Henry Bolckow and John Vaughan lived next door to each other in what is now Queen's Square, Middlesbrough. Their firm drove the growth of Middlesbrough and by the late 1860s, Bolckow, Vaughan and Co was the largest iron-making company in the world. By around 1870, Cleveland had become the world's iron-producing capital with 100 blast furnaces along the Tees and Eston’s mine, becoming the largest ironstone mine in the world.

Once the ironstone mining got underway, they built their first blast furnace on the Tees in 1852 to process the ore from nearby Eston, enabling the entire process to be carried out in one place. It was the first blast furnace to be built on Teesside, on what would be called "the Steel River". Middlesbrough grew from 40 inhabitants in 1829 to 7600 in 1851, 19,000 in 1861 and 40,000 in 1871, fuelled by the iron industry.

Paper Specification

Printed on 290gsm Hahnemühle Bamboo – the world's first digital fine art inkjet paper made from bamboo fibres. This natural, warm-toned paper combines a planet-friendly, carbon-neutral promise with soft surface texture and superior print quality.

This resource-saving paper is free from optical brighteners, thanks to its soft, lightly textured structure and sensual feel. It also guarantees maximum ageing resistance, with a premium matt inkjet coating, extensive colour gamut and high colour density for outstanding expression and soul.

Available in:
A4 210 x 297 mm / 8.3 x 11.7 inches
A3 297 x 420 mm / 11.7 x 16.5 inches
A2 420 x 594 mm / 16.5 x 23.4 inches
A1 594 x 841 mm / 23.4 x 33.1 inches

Print only - no frame
100% recyclable and sustainable packaging

Prints with Purpose

Profits from every purchase go directly towards supporting the local causes and community organisations that are closest to our hearts. This is part of our ongoing agency commitment to build a better place to live, learn and work while celebrating Teesside’s character, creativity and spirit of innovation.