Some times a photograph can be used effectively to define the character of a place or ethos.Obviously such a picture will have disparate elements somehow fusing together to convey the overall character of a place or scene.We come back to the old premise-a picture manages to integrate several elements that share a common spatial consciousness which is tied to a particular chunk of time. The character of the scene is defined by the way the elements fuse together to convey a single unified impression.

In the above  photograph ,taken from the   timesonline.uk.com  archives,one can experience the  defining character of the coalmines premises on a wet afternoon .The defining character is of course the mind-numbing dreariness of the place which can be experienced easily although the scene is from a place far removed from us in space and time.