Large numbers of women were employed on the surface as 'pit-brow' lassies. Their job was to remove dirt, trim the coal and break it into manageable pieces as it emerged from below ground. They worked on conveyors and screens in sometimes appalling conditions, the shawl was a hallmark of their occupation.br/In this posed photo the women are posed as though they are breaking the coal. The body language says everything. The man on the right is the foreman in charge of the women and screening process. Clearly the man background right is someone of importance and status, his hat, and clothing suggest he may the mine owner. Interestingly the screens are enclosed from the elements and above the screens are electric lights. In many collieries women worked in the open or in a 'shed' with no sides or heating.