Newburgh, Fife

Maker
John Peat Munn
Production date
19 Oct 1958
 Description
Text on negative envelope reads 'Newburgh, Fife. Potato Lifting. After mechanical lifter has tossed up roots, "Tattie Howkers" at work. River Tay & Carse of Gowrie beyond'. View of a line of people lifting potatoes from a drill and placing them in wire baskets. Next to them are the died-off shaws of drills still to be opened. In the distance there are two groups of haystacks, the Firth of Tay and the Carse of Gowrie.
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Object detail

Department
Photo
Collection
Munn Photographic Collection/Family & Personal Papers Group
Maker
Production date
19 Oct 1958
Subject place
Newburgh/Fife
Subject notes
Drill-ploughs opened the drills for the pickers. In the 19th century, the spinner type was used and, from the 1920s, the elevator lifter. It was difficult to mechanically separate potatoes, stones and hard lumps of earth so tattie pickers were still required. During the War children were given a tattie holiday to ensure the crop was brought in. Because of the constant bending, a sore back was a common complaint.
Accession number
P40196

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