Dirty Collection (#37)

Tractor with muck spreader, spreading muck on grazing land, Fetlar, Shetland Islands, Scotland, june

Close-up of garden fork in soil, in garden vegetable plot, Cumbria, England, august

Common Magpie (Pica pica sericea) flock, some with sooty plumage from entering chimneys, perched in tree, Beidaihe, Hebei, China, may

Common Magpie (Pica pica sericea) adult, with sooty plumage from entering chimneys, standing on ground, Beidaihe, Hebei, China, may

Asian elephant dust bathing
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) dust bathing. This elephant is being trained to work with a mahout who drives it

Keyboard key. Coloured scanning electron microg- raph (SEM) of a dirty key from a personal computer (PC) keyboard. Dirt and accumulated grime (green) are seen on the key. Magnification unknown

Dental plaque
Tooth plaque. Dental plaque (yellow) on a patients teeth. Plaque is the main cause of tooth decay. It is a sticky coating that consists of saliva, bacteria and particles of food

Medical waste disposal. Nurse placing a used intravenous drip catheter into a sharps disposal box. Medical waste must be disposed of carefully to prevent contamination of the hospital or

Testing for bacteria. Bacteriologist using a strip of growth medium gel to sample bacteria from a chopping board. This is being done to study the number

Bacterial colonies. Petri dish containing colonies of bacteria cultured from a hand print found in a house. The print was lifted from a surface on a growth medium gel

Dirty scouring pad. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a dirty scouring pad. Particles of food (green) trapped in the pads fibres (yellow)

Oil crisis, conceptual artwork
Oil crisis, conceptual computer artwork

Childs worn shoes

Workers boot stained with tar

Worn slippers

Wellington boots made of rubber to be waterproof

Used razor, SEM
Used razor. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of cut hairs and shaving foam between two razor blades. Magnification: x25 when printed at 10 centimetres wide

Worn shoes

Workers boots

Nappy changing
MODEL RELEASED. Nappy changing. 17 week old baby boy having his nappy changed

Used surgical swab, SEM
Used surgical swab, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Red blood cells (erythrocytes, red) and fibrin (purple) are stuck to the fibres of the swab

Bonfire in domestic garden

Potatoes eaten by pests
Harvested organic potatoes (Solanum tuberosum Cherie ). These potatoes have been eaten by agricultural pests, such as rats or mice, while they were still in the ground

Organic parsnips
MODEL RELEASED. Organic parsnips. Gardener holding a bunch of freshly harvested organic parsnips (Pastinacea sativa Gladiator 1 ). Photographed in winter

Gardener holding organic chicken manure in pellet form

Mixed organic radishes (Raphanus sativus Globe Mixed and Long White Icicle ) held in a gardeners hand

Pollution on the Moskva River
River pollution. A skim layer of oil seen on the waters of the Moskva River, Russia. Interference patterns in the oil show as a band of colours in the foreground. Photographed in Moscow, Russia

Slate mining. View of winding gear above the lift that takes workers down into a slate mine. Slate is a fine-grained metamorphic rock that has very distinct cleavage planes

Hospital germs, conceptual artwork. Computer artwork of rows of hospital beds with smears and marks on them, representing the need to keep hospitals clean

Bacterial contamination, SEM
Bacterial contamination, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Escherichia coli bacteria in a cell culture. This contamination has come from an unclean water source

Coins of various ages
Ageing coins. Three British one pence coins of various ages, showing the change in their appearance with time. The coins get older from left to right

Large painted letters on ancient wall, with statue of the Virgin, and wood shutters, Old Aix, Aix en Provence, Provence, France, Europe

BUSN2A-00180
Coal miners emerging from the shaft after their nine hours of toil are ended, early 1900s. Hand-colored halftone of a photograph

Wild and Woolly Motocross multi multi 2008

Bowler Wildcat British

Weighing The morning s
Weighing The mornings truffle harvest at La Truffe de Ventoux truffle farm 740 grams, Vaucluse, Rhone, Provence, France

Indian Elephants crossing the track, Corbett National Park, India

Shadow drawing. C. H. Bennett, A Native
A Native of these islands. This scruffy, dirty looking but contented old character is apparently a stranger to soap and water, which is ironic as he casts the perfect shadow of a wash basin and jug

Gipsy woman with washing-up brush
A close-up of a gipsy woman sitting in the open air with a washing up brush in her hand

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"Unearthing the Dirty Secrets: A Glimpse into Coal Miners' Lives in South Wales and Cornwall" Step back in time to witness the gritty reality of coal miners as they ascend from the depths of shaft lifts, their faces smeared with soot. In South Wales, these brave souls toiled tirelessly, risking their lives daily for a livelihood that sustained communities. Venture further into Folly Ditch at Jacobs Island, circa 1878, where an unknown creator captures a scene shrouded in mystery. The air thick with grime and uncertainty, this image hints at a world hidden beneath layers of dirt. At Geevor Tin Mine in Pendeen, Cornwall, a lone miner stands amidst rugged terrain. His weathered face tells tales of perseverance and determination against all odds. These men battled darkness and filth to extract precious minerals that fueled industries far and wide. The coalface was their battleground - blackened hands digging deep into the earth's core. In South Wales, miners worked relentlessly under treacherous conditions to meet the insatiable demand for coal during an era when energy needs knew no bounds. Travel across oceans to New Zealand through an antique map from 1873. As explorers navigated uncharted territories on distant shores, they encountered lands untouched by civilization's cleansing touch – raw beauty concealed beneath layers of untamed wilderness. In Sweden's Volvo 240 GL lies another tale entwined with dirt – not just physical but metaphorical too. This iconic vehicle symbolizes resilience; its sturdy frame defying weariness despite traversing rough terrains year after year. A Punch cartoon depicts Faraday offering his card to Father Thames – perhaps suggesting that even great minds recognize the inherent connection between science and nature's dirty secrets flowing within rivers' veins. But cleanliness is also elusive; it slips through our fingers like grains of sand as we strive for godliness.