oil on canvas, 40 cm x 40 cm, Iain White £ 295
Coke
Gas works produced coke by heating coal in the absence of air in enclosed chambers. The flammable gas created as a by-product of the coking process, (coal gas or town gas) was stored in gas holders, to be used domestically for cooking, heating and lighting and in industrial processes.
The use of coal gas developed during the 19th and early 20th centuries tracking the industrial revolution and urbanization. By-products from the production process included not only the residual coke, but coal tars and ammonia, which were important raw materials for the dye and chemical industry. The coke was used instead of coal in cooking ranges and to provide heat in domestic premises before the advent of central heating.
The network of pipes through which town gas was supplied were often disrupted by bombing during the blitz. The priority when repairing gas mains was the supply to wartime factories, so the use of solid fuels like coke often sustained wartime homes instead.
