Harry E (Coal Breaker) by Daniel Voitek

Harry E (Coal Breaker) by Daniel Voitek

Harry E (Coal Breaker)

Daniel Voitek

Title

Harry E (Coal Breaker)

 
Artist

Daniel Voitek

  1933 - 2023 (biography)
Year
c. 1958  
Technique
aquatint and etching 
Image Size
7 3/4 x 9 1/2" platemark 
Signature
pencil, lower right 
Edition Size
3 of 10  
Annotations
titled and editioned in pencil 
Reference
 
Paper
cream Crisbrook wove 
State
published 
Publisher
artist, in Philadelphia 
Inventory ID
16222 
Price
SOLD
Description

A view of the "Harry E. Coal Breaker" Also known as “The Bucket Of Blood” which was demolished on April 14 1995. It was located at Swoyersville Pennsylvania in the Anthracite Coal Region of Wyoming Valley Pennsylvania.

A coal breaker is a coal processing plant which breaks coal into various useful sizes. Coal breakers also remove impurities from the coal (typically slate) and deposit them into a culm dump. The coal breaker is a forerunner of the modern coal preparation plant.

Dan Voitek was apparently a student of Atelier 17 printmaker Cathal O'Toole while O'Toole was teaching at Wilkes College (now Wilkes University) in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. We can locate little other information on this talented printmaker.

The subject of this composition, is a rooftop view, either from or of 1028 Spruce Street, probably in Philadelphia, PA. Voitek uses mostly aquatints to create the tonal differences of the architectural elements with a few etched line details.