A remarkable new exhibition exploring the hidden world beneath the Isle of Man has opened at the Manx Museum.

Mann Underground, which launched on Saturday, invites visitors to descend into the island’s industrial past through the eyes of one man whose lifelong passion has taken him deep below the surface.

Housed in the Cabinet of Curiosities space at the Manx Museum in Douglas, the exhibition centres on the extraordinary experiences of Major Shane Lucas, a former British Army officer whose fascination with subterranean passages and historic mine workings has shaped decades of exploration, research and artistic creation.

Major Lucas has spent much of his life navigating the complex network of tunnels beneath Laxey and Lonan, including the renowned Great Laxey Mine.

After completing his military career, he worked for the Isle of Man Government surveying the historic site, gaining rare first-hand knowledge of the labyrinth of shafts and passageways that once drove the island’s mining industry and fuelled its Victorian prosperity.

His exploration has gone far beyond mapping tunnels.

Through meticulous historical research, Major Lucas has uncovered the human stories that lie behind the industry.

Different stories of men, women and even children whose lives were defined by demanding and often dangerous work underground.

Their labour shaped the communities of the Laxey Valley and left an enduring mark on the island’s social history.

Now retired, Major Lucas expresses his experiences through art.

The exhibition features a striking collection of two-dimensional and three-dimensional works that capture the physical intensity, mystery and atmosphere of life beneath the surface.

Using texture, form and shadow, his pieces evoke the claustrophobic darkness, damp conditions and precarious nature of working hundreds of feet underground.

Matthew Richardson, curator of art and social history at Manx National Heritage, said the organisation was proud to showcase such a unique perspective.

He said: ‘Manx National Heritage is delighted to be working with Major Lucas and to offer visitors the chance to experience his distinctive and powerful artwork,

‘Shane’s understanding of the mines around Laxey is truly unique.’

Visitors are encouraged to discover this powerful and deeply personal interpretation of the Isle of Man’s industrial heritage, an exhibition that brings to light a hidden world and the lives shaped within it.

Continuing, Matthew said: ‘Major Lucas is one of only a few living people who have explored much of the mine complex first-hand and knows better than most what it feels like to be several hundred feet underground: wet, cold and reliant on little more than a rope and lamp.

‘That real-life experience of the Great Laxey Mine is very rare, giving his work an authenticity and depth that is both thought-provoking and compelling.’

Mann Underground runs until Sunday, May 4.

Admission to the Manx Museum is free, although donations are welcome.

- Calling all artists, authors, and musicians! If you have creative work to showcase or an event to promote, we’d love to feature it in Island Life in the Manx Independent. Email details and a photo to [email protected] and share your story with the Isle of Man community!