‘Middlesbrough - Hercules Exiled’ is an ongoing project documenting the streets and people of Middlesbrough, a small town in the north east of England. In the early 1800’s Middlesbrough had a population of just 25 people, it was industrialization in the latter half of the 19th century that began the extremely rapid expansion and population growth of the town, which led the Prime Minister of the time William Gladstone to dub the town ‘an infant Hercules’.
Entering the 21st century Middlesbrough has become a shadow of its past and is now something of a forgotten industrial town struggling in the economic downturn. When I have traveled around the UK, and replied to the question ‘where do you live?’ blank stares are given when Middlesbrough is mentioned. From its mighty beginnings to the present day, the town seems to have been exiled from the consciousness of the rest of England.
Carl Mole was born in 1969 and came to photography later in life, with no formal training in the subject but with a passion to create he is constantly learning and developing the ability to see and understand through photography the area of his birth in the North East of England. He is fascinated with the changing urban landscape and its people. In 2010 Carl was involved in Stuart Pilkington’s project What is England http://www.whatisengland.co.uk. He is currently working on a project photographing the course of the River Tees. To view more visit www.carlmole.co.uk
All images ©Carl Mole
