The “I Am Coatesville Steel” documentary and environmental portraits are the culmination of a year long creative collaboration to capture the faces and stories of the last generation of the workers at the Lukens Steel Company (1810-1997) in Coatesville. Since lead photographer Darcie Goldberg hails from outside of Coatesville, she involved several local photographers to capture these portraits of works so central to the community. For some, it was their first venture into portrait photography. The collection contains stunning black and white images captured by Goldberg, Anita Bower, Peter Guman, Paula McDevitt, Ted Odey, and Ed Simpson.
As they were collecting the portraits, stories emerged and Goldberg sought to record them. She invited digital artist and photographer Elkin Jaramillo to accompany the photographers and conduct interviews with the steel workers and their families, to create a 25-minute documentary that accompanies the photo exhibit.
The exhibit was on view this past fall in the National Iron & Steel Heritage Museum in Coatesville, then traveled to the Chester County Historical Society. People's Light is proud to host the entire collection of photographs and Jaramillo’s documentary film in our Steinbright Lobby throughout the run of Sweat.
"I Am Coatesville Steel" was funded by the Stewart Hudson Charitable Trust.
