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Brown Mine: 1908
October 1908. Digging coal by machinery at the Brown Mine in West Virginia. Note open-flame ... the subject here . (The Gallery, Lewis Hine, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 1:05pm -

October 1908. Digging coal by machinery at the Brown Mine in West Virginia. Note open-flame headlamps. View full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine.
No Davy lamp?Seems odd that they were not using a Davy lamp, given that it was invented in 1815:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_lamp
Re: No Davy lamp?Davy lamps had their drawbacks. We've covered the subject here.
(The Gallery, Lewis Hine, Mining)

Big Muddy: 1920
... lumber and Logging Company; Road Builders; Oil Companies; Coal Companies Mining Companies; Grocery Companies; Trucking Contractors—in fact in all ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/06/2012 - 1:55pm -

1920. "Duplex truck, Culpeper trip." Nat'l Photo glass negative. View full size.
BannerCan anybody make out what the banner in the bed of the truck says?
["Washington D.C. -- 'On Time All the Time' -- Baltimore Md." - Dave]

If you don't like the way I drive...Then get out and walk!
Wait right there, ladiesIs he testing the road first and then going back for the girls?
Stick-in-the-muds"Yeah, right, we'll go with you and get stuck in the mud" ... is what I can picture the smart young ladies in the background saying.
What the heck!Does anyone know what those two rectangular panel-like things are which are strapped to the front axle and are dragging in the mud? I know a few things about vehicles of this period but I have never seen anything like it.
[Where I come from we called them "license plates." - Dave]

So they are!At full size view I was not detecting that they had numbers on them; in your attached blowup I am willing to own that they are license plates indeed - even where I come from! Can't get away with hanging my plates underneath on my front axel axle in Virginia today (I despise having to mount front plates on my 1930 Model A 5-window coupe!)
Pavement good!As I was navigating my way over icy pavement this morning, I was cursing it and thinking that back before roads were paved, it was a lot easier to walk on it during the frigid winter months. But this photo has reminded me that pavement is a very good thing indeed!
To A or not to ANo A ever had a radiator shell like that, and there is no way that truck is 4 wheel drive. Take a look at the front axle... Duplex is the brand, but maybe they were responsible for the 4wd conversions for As. If the date is correct, the picture predates the A by about 8 years too!
[On the radiator it says "The Duplex Limited." Below, a 1922 ad. - Dave]

Duplex Model AThis appears to be a Duplex Model A - powered by a 4 cylinder engine generating an impressive 25.6 horsepower (hold on tight!)
If you have a heavy hauling problem and do not already know the Duplex 4-Wheel-Drive, talk to the Duplex dealer and let him give you the facts at first hand.
The Duplex Truck Company is the Originator of the 4-Wheel Drive principle and today its most successful exponent.
There is pull and power in every wheel — and the Duplex 4-Wheel drive keeps going under conditions that are simply impossible for any rear wheel drive trucks.
The Duplex 4-Wheel drive is setting new records of truck efficiency for lumber and Logging Company; Road Builders; Oil Companies; Coal Companies Mining Companies; Grocery Companies; Trucking Contractors—in fact in all lines where there are heavy loads to be hauled.
The point is the Duplex 4-Wheel Drive is daily proving to a very economical truck for hundreds of owners who used to say it was too big for their needs.

A couple of Google Book links:

1922 Official Handbook of Automobiles
(page forward to see other models)
Motor West (1920 advertisement)

Duplex banner mysteryCan you turn the truck by 90 degrees please Dave?
I think I see a banner with "DUPLEX" in in the middle of it.
[There's a photo of the banner in the third comment from the bottom. - Dave]
(The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Natl Photo)

Kempton: 1939
May 1939. The coal company town of Kempton, West Virginia. View full size. 35mm nitrate ... is located in Maryland. The state of Maryland didn't allow mining company stores so therefore the store and the post office were located ... (The Gallery, John Vachon, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/14/2008 - 2:55pm -

May 1939. The coal company town of Kempton, West Virginia. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by John Vachon for the Farm Security Administration.
Kempton 1939I own the third home from the right and several acres of land in Kempton. I live in D.C. and use the place as a vacation house. It's a little over a hundred years old and has been totally restored.  Both my parents and grandparents lived there.  The land was reclaimed and restored by the state of Maryland.  Incidentally, Kempton is located in Maryland. The state of Maryland didn't allow mining company stores so therefore the store and the post office were located just across the line in West Virginia.  Hence the name, Kempton, W.Va.
[All very fascinating. Thanks for writing. - Dave]
KemptonThis photo prompted me do to some further searching and I found this site with more photos and description of reclamation efforts: http://www.osmre.gov/awardsaml/md02.pdf
(The Gallery, John Vachon, Mining)

Nanty Glo Slagger: 1937
1937. Salvaging coal from the slag heap at Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania. Coal pickers get 10 cents for each hundred-pound sack or two dollars a ton. One ... this delightful little town. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 1:19am -

1937. Salvaging coal from the slag heap at Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania. Coal pickers get 10 cents for each hundred-pound sack or two dollars a ton. One man can make from 10 to 20 sacks a day. View full size. Photograph by Ben Shahn.
Nanty GloI lived here as a small child in the early 70's. Some of my earliest memories are from here.
Nanty Glo'tho the coal mines have been shut down for many years, this slag heap is still a large, looming presence in this delightful little town.
(The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Mining)

West Mine: 1939
... father-in-law was raised in Raleigh, Illinois, which was coal territory. In the late 1990s, he sold his coal rights to a company and made some decent money for doing nothing. The ... a drop-bottom. (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Mining, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/03/2018 - 11:42am -

January 1939. "West Mine, West Frankfort, Illinois. Now abandoned. This mine has been down about a year." Photo by Arthur Rothstein. View full size.
QuestionAre there any other photos of this tipple?  Really would make a nice model on my model railroad.
[We'll rummage around and see what we can come up with. - Dave]
Been thereMy father-in-law was raised in Raleigh, Illinois, which was coal territory. In the late  1990s, he sold his coal rights to a company and made some decent money for doing nothing. The checks stopped coming after a year or so because the coal was too dirty to be used as fuel. 
I took a tour of a closed coal mine in West Frankfort, Illinois, around that time. My memory recalls a burnt oily sulfuric type of odor. 
The ceilings were the right height for someone who was not "Big John" but more like Curly Howard.  The mine was closed to the public shortly after our tour because it was considered unsafe. Perhaps I was ignorant of the possibility of being buried alive or blown up, but I found the tour informative. My wife, who has claustrophobia, was not impressed. Not a place for a lady. 
Coupling, If You Don't Mine943, meet Burlington Route. I now pronounce you: Coupled.
Heights for FixItThe ceilings were the right height for someone who was not "Big John" but more like Curly Howard
Moe: 5'2"
Larry: 5'4"
Curly: 5'5"
[You look lost. - Dave]
Locomotive firing - not so greenYou did not miss the engineer posing for the classic leaning out the window scene.  In fact, he is sitting on the other side of the locomotive.  We're looking at the left side, the fireman's side.  And you wouldn't see him in the window either, he's shoveling right now.  Note the large billow of black smoke over the cab, then a puff of almost white smoke, and dark smoke for about 8 feet directly above the stack.  The dark smoke was emitted immediately when he placed each shovelful, the white when he turned back to the tender to pick up another scoopful.
Crop issues here, not of the green kindIt drives me crazy that I can't see the full cab on the engine with an engineer from central casting leaning out!  But there is a lot going on in this photo, that's for sure.
Ahh, T-section Bettendorfs on the gondolaIt appears to be a side-dump type or possibly a drop-bottom. 
(The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Mining, Railroads)

Harvest Time: 1937
1937. Salvaging coal from the slag heap at Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania. Coal pickers get 10 cents for each hundred-pound sack or two dollars a ton. One ... background. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Great Depression, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/05/2009 - 2:03am -

1937. Salvaging coal from the slag heap at Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania. Coal pickers get 10 cents for each hundred-pound sack or two dollars a ton. One man can make from 10 to 20 sacks a day. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn.
AnglesThis photo has really good perspective to it. I like how most of the shot is taken up by the diagonal slag heap and you can see the hills in the background.
(The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Great Depression, Mining)

Coke House: 1939
... nearby Cairo. It's largely a farming area although some coal mining was done, too. Twenty people were killed in 1920 during a mining strike. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/11/2014 - 3:19pm -

January 1939. "Herrin, Illinois. Family on relief living in shanty at city dump." Photo by Arthur Rothstein for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.
The Original American PickersIf only they had known how valuable those porcelain auto parts and Coke signs, would be in 75 years, they would never have nailed them to their walls. 
"Little Egypt"Herrin is in southern Illinois, near Carbondale. This part of the state is known as "Little Egypt," which explains nearby Cairo. It's largely a farming area although some coal mining was done, too. Twenty people were killed in 1920 during a mining strike.  The nickname "Little Egypt" dates to the early 1800s, possibly because of the farming or because it's between major rivers.
Humbled by the dignity and decency of these people.Okay, I won't be complaining about anything for at least a week. These are some unusually powerful images, even for Shorpy.
(The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Great Depression, Kids)

High Noon: 1909
... of railroad tracks that lead out to cranes for unloading coal in the Marquette Harbor. The wall is for safety as it was a 16' drop down ... into ore boats to take the iron ore to Pittsburgh. Iron mining was and still is a big business in Marquette County. The photo in ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2012 - 10:26pm -

Circa 1909. "Marquette, Michigan. Front Street." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Ware roomsPresumably ware rooms are what you find in a warehouse, in this case storing furniture.
What a difference a century makesThe picture of this town 103 years ago is full of life and interesting little moments; boys chatting, someone selling balloons (?), a man leaning on his cane with panache while another just watches the world go by, beautifully dressed women with children shopping -- a myriad of details I am fascinated by. Jump to the same spot in 2012 and ... nothing. Hard to imagine anyone doing Shorpy's wonderful job in the future because what aficionado of history would want to spend time looking a HD closeups of empty streets, cars and maybe a pedestrian or two. Bottom line, one picture is endlessly absorbing, the other totally boring. Makes you wonder about "progress."
Lunch Time at the Ice Cream ParlorIt's noon by the building clock, and the locals are mobbing the ice cream parlor.
Plus 103Between a glitch in Google Street View and the difference in the lenses, it's impossible to capture the same angle - but this is close.  A nice assortment of "still standing" and "long gone." (Pedestrians and trolley cars seem to be in the latter category.)

Lots Going OnSo many questions:  What's the guy selling that has the kids so interested? Why are some in uniform? Speaking of which, the man across the street (front right) appears to be in a policeman's uniform, but the hat is too informal. Also, he has a cane.  Why is there a wooden platform behind him leading to a blank wall? And that kid there can't be doing what he looks like he's doing. Can he?
What kind of rooms?I wonder what kind of rooms are ________RE ROOMS? See the brickwork high on the hotel(?) on the left.
[From the panorama we later published. Now we just have to figure out what it means. - tterrace]
Wooden WallRegarding the wooden wall, that appears to be for a railroad line running underneath the street. You'll see a railroad station to your left, as well as a different street cover along this extent. I believe the wall was to keep people away from the train tracks.
From Merriam-Webster onlineware·room [noun \ˈwer-ˌrüm, -ˌru̇m\] A room in which goods are exhibited for sale. First known use: 1811.
DentistNow that is good product placement for a dentist to open up shop next door to an ice cream parlor. I wonder if he is a partner in both locations.
@jdowling23 Question"Why is there a wooden platform behind him leading to a blank wall?"
The wooden platform is actually a bridge over a set of railroad tracks that lead out to cranes for unloading coal in the Marquette Harbor.  The wall is for safety as it was a 16' drop down to the tracks.  See attached links for different view of Front Street and the City of Marquette around that time.  You can see the same wood bridge in one and the cranes in the other.  Also you can see the ore docks that gravity load iron ore into ore boats to take the iron ore to Pittsburgh.  Iron mining was and still is a big business in Marquette County.  The photo in question was taken standing on the a steel bridge leading to the old ore dock that can be seen in the attached photos.
https://www.shorpy.com/node/12493?size=_original#caption
https://www.shorpy.com/node/12492?size=_original#caption
(The Gallery, DPC, Small Towns, Streetcars)

Slagpile Sluggers: 1940
... These piles were a prominent fixture around most “coal patches”, and went by various names; in Southwestern Pennsylvania they were called slate dumps. One could also find good coal among the slate and my childhood “patch” had at least one family of ... been invented yet. (The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kids, Mining, Sports) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/09/2018 - 12:08am -

August 1940. Coaldale, Pennsylvania. "Baseball diamond for children with slagpile in background." Photo by Jack Delano, Office of War Information. View full size.
Shale findsGrowing up, I had relatives in another northeast Pennsylvania town.  One had a similar slag pile not far from her home.  The shale pieces were a good place to find plant fossils.
SlagpileThese piles were a prominent  fixture around most “coal patches”, and went by various names; in Southwestern Pennsylvania they were called slate dumps. One could also find good coal among the slate and my childhood “patch” had at least one family of “coal pickers” who made a living picking up coal chunks both on the dump and along the railroad spur that serviced our local mine.
Optional EquipmentNo one has a baseball glove.
Now That's The Way To Play Baseball ...... at least if you were a kid like me 10 years after the above game and before Little League BB ruined a good afternoon for all kids. We had an empty clay field with no houses or roads within a hard hit ball reach.
Two team captains were picked and the bat was tossed to one of them and then the other captain put his hand just above where the first captain grabbed the bat. The captains kept alternating hand positions until the nub was reached and one of the captains could not get his hand around and thus that captain chose second. 
Rules were very fluid such as any ball hit on the fly to right field or third base was an out depending on the number of players and four fouls you were out. 
If no one volunteered to be ump players were put on the honor system and made the ball, strike and out calls. That worked most of the time but we had all seen pictures and newsreels of Casey Stengel and Leo Durocher arguing the finer parts of the game so we all had to do our impression of MLB managers now and then.
The best part was there were no adults. We worked all details out, had a good time and did not worry if we didn't get a hit for tomorrow was another day and we surely would get the game winning hit then.  
Little League has its good points I imagine but not the fun without any pressure we had. Everybody played since getting 18 players was tough and so what if you muffed a play or struck out four times it was a grand time.
Batter UpAs LaviathanRider noted, no one has a glove. I hope sure hope someone's got a ball.
ImagineImagine that that was a pile of marble tailings, and the batter hits an outfield (is that the terminology)? Go find the ball yourself, then. Might be hard enough with a white ball in a grayish blackish slag pile. If the ball is still kind of white in the first place. 
Another frequent observation, very little body fat in evidence. 
Fat FreeLean, because the times were mean. And because couch potatoes hadn't been invented yet.
(The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kids, Mining, Sports)

The Commandments: 1940
... of the children of John Yeuser [Yenser] of Mauch Chunk, a coal mining town in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley." Photo by Jack Delano. View full ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/04/2019 - 10:36pm -

August 1940. "One of the children of John Yeuser [Yenser] of Mauch Chunk, a coal mining town in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley." Photo by Jack Delano. View full size.
PuzzledColor me clueless.  Why does it appear there's a clock on the roller shade?
5:45 I'm trying to make sense of the clock face on the window shade.  I assume it's an optical illusion but I can't figure it out.
[Double exposure! - Dave]
Prim and properfrom the little girl to the furnishings.
A Great Pennsylvania SmileOn a beautiful young lady. House will be nice and toasty with the anthracite coal heat from that area. 
Another dimension of timeWell-placed double exposure!  And I'm sure a vintage film expert Shorpian could even tell us what causes the shape of the horizontal line with a curve in the middle.  Bottom edge of the last exposure on the film roll?  I'm just guessing.  I know nothing about it.
A PuzzlementI see the Lord's Prayer, but not the Commandments.  
[Look harder. - Dave]
Yeuser friendlyWho's the pretty girl with the Mona Lisa smile? I wonder what she is listening to in the now that was 78 years ago. Shorpy webmasters, I love how you bend time.
ClockThe double exposure clock is viewable in its full glory on the next picture here:  https://www.shorpy.com/node/24017?size=_original#caption .
Unfortunately, she died young..She was Anna Mae Yenser of Mauch Chunk (later Jim Thorpe) PA.  Born: Jul 25, 1929   Died: Feb 3, 1981  Age 51
VictrolaThat was an old machine when this photo was taken - at least 16 years old and possibly a decade or so more than that.  It is either the Victrola VV-IV ("Victrola 4") or VV-VI ("Victrola 6") which were made from 1911 to 1924. Befitting the humble surroundings, these were Victor's cheapest models (lacking a lid, for example), and were quite popular.
You can hear one of them here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0MOOMuapoY
Questions answeredSee https://www.shorpy.com/node/24017
Familiar SurroundsMy grandparents had the same 'Our Father' picture over the kitchen table -- complete with the Ten Commandments -- as well as the oil lamp on a near-identical runner. Takes me instantly back to being 7 years old! Haunting ...
That (Victor?) phonograph isn't playing anything, as the needle's not down and the doors aren't open. The knob at top right of the device was a leveler, keeping the platter on an even keel so the 78 RPM recording spun at a consistent rate.
Colorized PortraitFocusing on the girl's face.
(The Gallery, Jack Delano, Kids)

The Shaft House: 1900
Kingston, Pennsylvania, circa 1900. "Woodward coal breaker, shaft house." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit ... "getting the shaft" came from. (The Gallery, DPC, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 1:27pm -

Kingston, Pennsylvania, circa 1900. "Woodward coal breaker, shaft house." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size.
Shaft!Right on!
Now I knowwhere the expression "getting the shaft" came from.
(The Gallery, DPC, Mining)

The Underground: 1915
"Safety sign in coal mine" circa 1915. View full size. National Photo Company. Safety ... THANKS !! Mark from BOSTON june 5 2008 (The Gallery, Mining, Natl Photo) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/03/2008 - 2:00pm -

"Safety sign in coal mine" circa 1915. View full size. National Photo Company.
Safety FirstI work on the Tracks myself > The T in Boston and have for 24 years. When I was first hired and a green horn on the crew. All the older guys would say "Saftey First" all night long to us new guys over and over. We always had a chuckle and thought they were busting out butts. But I guess they were looking out for us and just passing along what they had heard from the older guys when they were new workers - so all would be safe. they also would say " Accident don't take Holiday " and " Watch out for your finger they don't grow back ". My self and a few others still say these sayings but not as much as we should but after seeing this picture I am going to make a point of saying it more to the newer men or persons Haaaaa. As I have lost 2 friend/co-workers on the job through the years. Never mind injuies. 
So thanx for the PICTURE and all the other!!!
This site is one of my fav. as I have been on here for over 2 hrs --- now.
THANKS !!
Mark from BOSTON june 5 2008
(The Gallery, Mining, Natl Photo)

Nipper Joe: 1911
January 1911. Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Co. mine at South Pittston. "At the close of the day. Waiting for the cage ... (The Gallery, Lewis Hine, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 6:20pm -

January 1911. Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Co. mine at South Pittston. "At the close of the day. Waiting for the cage to go up. Small boy in front is Joe Pume, a Nipper, 163 Pine St." View full size. Photo and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine.
Nipper JoeThis is Joe Manning, from the Lewis Hine Project. I saw this photo yesterday, and I've already talked to one of his daughters. She's never seen the photo, and I mailed it to her this morning. Joseph Puma had 12 children, and died at the age of 68 or 69. I will be interviewing the daughter in several weeks.  
Nipper Joe: 1911 This is Joe Manning, of the Lewis Hine Project. I have completed my story of nipper Joseph Puma. He's the boy in the front row on the right in this photo. There are at least two other Lewis Hine photos of him, which you can see in my story. I have also posted his wedding photo. Joe's daughter, whom I interviewed, told me: “He was the most wonderful person you’d ever want to meet. He did everything for us. He worked very hard. We never had any money, but we never did without anything.” It's a nice story. See it at
http://morningsonmaplestreet.com/2014/11/26/joseph-puma-page-one/
(The Gallery, Lewis Hine, Mining)

Mrs. Gladski: 1938
... "Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Joe Gladski, wife of a coal miner at Maple Hill." Photo by Sheldon Dick, Resettlement Administration. ... 31 in this photo. Joe's job was as an organizer for the coal miners' union (at $2500/year), so he may have been out getting beat up by ... Sadski, Madski and Badski somewhere? (The Gallery, Mining, Sheldon Dick) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/17/2019 - 1:19pm -

1938. "Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Joe Gladski, wife of a coal miner at Maple Hill." Photo by Sheldon Dick, Resettlement Administration. View full size.
Future lives of furnitureI wonder how many summer home interiors of the 1950s, like ours, wound up looking like 1930s time capsules? 
Cottage time lagIt would be an interesting project, to study the interiors of summer cottages and see the average lag between their furnishing and fulltime homes.
It would also be useful because it would give you a longitudinal study in which furniture held up the best, especially those which held up long enough to go full circle fromhome >> cottage >> antique shop >> much more expensive home.
Future life of furnitureMrs. Gladski, where have those shoes been that you feel perfectly comfortable putting them up on the furniture?
The rest of the storyPer the 1940 Federal census, the Gladsky family (Joseph and Sophia, their three children, and Joe's father, born in what became Poland but was then the Russian Empire) occupied 422 West Lloyd Street in said town, Shenandoah Borough, Schuylkill Co, PA.  Sophia is about 31 in this photo.  Joe's job was as an organizer for the coal miners' union (at $2500/year), so he may have been out getting beat up by company goons when Sophia's photo was taken.  Joe died in Fairmont, West Virginia in 1961, age about 57.  His son, Joe Jr., died at 73 in New Jersey.  Sophia herself died in New Jersey in 1996, aged 89 years.
Some interesting touches in this shot are the rather worn armchair with faint shadow of an antimacassar on the back and the apparently new widow casings and baseboard.
Chair RivetsWe had an armchair or two from that vintage when I was a lad. If you threw a golf ball at the chair when Mom wasn't looking and hit one of those rivets dead-on the ball was coming back nine times faster than the speed you threw it. Those rivets could hold a battleship together.
[Those are upholstery tacks. -tterrace]
Floor lamp baseNote the sturdy base on the floor lamp.  Unlike the floor lamps of recent years, it would be nearly impossible to knock it over.  My grandmother had a similar one with solid brass stand and pole and an adjustable shade so that you could direct the light exactly where you wanted it.  Some things have not improved, (especially stuff that was made to last) and it seems as though most things now are temporary and disposable, even furniture and fixtures.  
P.S.  Is there a Mrs. Sadski, Madski and Badski somewhere? 
(The Gallery, Mining, Sheldon Dick)

Big John: 1942
... (vicinity). Montour No. 4 mine of the Pittsburgh Coal Company. Coal miner waiting to go underground." Medium-format nitrate negative by John ... appropriate photographer? (The Gallery, John Collier, Mining, Pittsburgh) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/16/2017 - 10:26am -

Every mornin' at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six-foot-six and weighed two-forty-five
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew ya didn't give no lip to big John

November 1942. "Pittsburgh (vicinity). Montour No. 4 mine of the Pittsburgh Coal Company. Coal miner waiting to go underground." Medium-format nitrate negative by John Collier for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Big Bad JohnI must have listened to that 45 hundreds of times with my brother on the old hi-fi. Jimmy Dean and Johnny Horton singles giving us stories of other places and times. Good times when we were young and not jaded by everyday life.
He Loaded Sixteen TonsYet owes his soul to the company store and is just another day older and deeper in debt.
It's all in the name.Could there have been a more appropriate photographer?
(The Gallery, John Collier, Mining, Pittsburgh)

Look Out: 1938
September 1938. "Coal miners waiting for the bus to go home in Osage, West Virginia." Medium ... to stick their elbow in! (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Mining, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/08/2019 - 7:55pm -

September 1938. "Coal miners waiting for the bus to go home in Osage, West Virginia." Medium format negative by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size.
One Price Dept. StoreIs this where the Dollar Stores got their idea from?
Forget the trainlook out for the locomotive.
Railroad CrossingWhat if the train is backing up -- shouldn't you be watching for a caboose too?
Two cents worthIt probably doesn't, but I'm imagining that the entire company name emblazoned on that tired awning is One Price Dept. Store ... with some luck, that could have had possibilities exceeding even the magic of the ubiquitous (for the time) Five and Dime.
There's always someonewho wants to stick their elbow in!
(The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Mining, Railroads)

Shaft No. 6: 1911
... and motor power. A young driver in Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Company mine at Pittston. View full size. 5x7 glass negative by Lewis ... Collection. (The Gallery, Horses, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 12:56pm -

January 1911. Mule power and motor power. A young driver in Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Company mine at Pittston. View full size. 5x7 glass negative by Lewis Wickes Hine. National Child Labor Committee Collection.
(The Gallery, Horses, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining)

Kentucky: 1935
October 1935. Coal miner in Jenkins, Kentucky. View full size. Photograph by Ben Shahn. ... photo One of our favorite photos showing Kentucky Coal Miners. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 11:32am -

October 1935. Coal miner in Jenkins, Kentucky. View full size. Photograph by Ben Shahn. Image scanned from 35mm nitrate negative.
Powerful photoOne of our favorite photos showing Kentucky Coal Miners.  
(The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Mining)

Actually Eckman: 1938
September 1938. "Coal mining town of Welch [i.e., Eckman], in the Bluefield section of West ... see the resemblance. (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Mining, Railroads, Small Towns) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/08/2019 - 11:29am -

September 1938. "Coal mining town of Welch [i.e., Eckman], in the Bluefield section of West Virginia." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size.
Bluefield section of WelchFatal Powder Blast
The Washington Post, District of Columbia
December 15, 1906 
Bluefield, W. Va., Dec. 14. — An explosion at Eckman today of 10,000 pounds of powder, which was being transported on three mine cars from a freight car to the powder house of the Pulaski Company, resulted in the death of one, the fatal injury of two, and the serious injury of eight others.  Three of the injured are women whose homes, near the scene of the explosion, were wrecked. 
The dead:
Joseph Steel, 19, died on the way to the hospital
Fatally Injured:
Alex Finney, 36
Mrs. George Johnson
Seriously Injured:
Edward Mullin, 22
Felix Harduett
Mrs. Mary Forbes
T. Hairston
George Bland, 22
Oscar Cowns
C. W. Case
Mrs. Mary Rhoads
Wrecked Houses Take Fire 
The wrecked houses took fire, and the scene was soon thronged with people.  Timbers and empty powder cans were scattered over a large area. 
The men were on the powder-laden cars and the women were in the houses nearby.  The powder was in tins, and was moved from a freight car to the magazine, when sparks from the motor wheels or current from the motor set it off.  The houses nearby were torn into splinters, and the detonation rocked the entire village.  In a few minutes hundreds had congregated and engaged in fighting the fire, which broke out as soon as the explosion occurred.  Some of the wounded were horribly burned, several of them lost their eyes, and the flesh hung in tatters from their bodies. 
Note:  According to the web site of the West Virginia Office of Miners' Health Safety and Training, this explosion killed 4 employees and 2 individuals on the surface near the mine.
Dichotomy Stunningly beautiful country up that way.
Absolutely dangerous and difficult way to live.
Going BOOM!About this time, a Mr Nobel realized that if you mixed highly volatile nitroglycerin with clay (or other inert substance) you created, what came to be named dynamite, which is so safe it take a strong primer to set it off.  The E.I. duPont company began production and promoting it.  The rest is safe blasting history.
[Check your facts. Alfred Nobel died in 1896. Dynamite was invented in the 1860s. - Dave]
EckmanAs Walter’s post would indicate and ex-N&W voices state, this photo location is of Eckman, WV.
Flatiron SouthIt seems one of Shorpy's favorite buildings had a son who settled in West Virginia. He is not as tall as dad but you can see the  resemblance.
(The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Mining, Railroads, Small Towns)

Men Smoking Together: 1942
... September 30th through October 1st, and saw how hard coal is extracted from beneath the earth's surface." 4x5 nitrate negative by ... that have reflective strips on them. (The Gallery, Mining, WW2) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/23/2015 - 9:35pm -

October 1942. "War production drive. Anthracite rallies. Servicemen working together! Soldiers, sailors and marines went into Pennsylvania mines during the anthracite rallies, September 30th through October 1st, and saw how hard coal is extracted from beneath the earth's surface." 4x5 nitrate negative by William Perlitch for the Office of War Information. View full size.
Spotless!This must be before they went into the mine.
Fill flashI wonder what kind of fill flash Bill was using.  It was a powerful one, based on the second set of shadows that rival those of the sun.  BTW, kinda looks like Cagney in the center of the poster.
Not Red Sox, but Bad SoxSomething we take for granted: male hosiery that stays in place around the ankle. Back in the day, not so true from the evidence of this pic.
Well BeltedAs a former Marine, I can't help but notice the contrasting belts on the two Marines and wonder what they signify.  They are both in service A uniforms, but lack the green cloth belts around the waist that I remember.  These days the black leather belt is worn only by senior drill instructors in recruit training.  The white belt is a mystery, perhaps some sort of cartridge belt that canteens etc. might have been clipped on.  Green versions of such belts were worn by duty officers/nco's.  Hopefully some historian of military regalia can clear this up.
Regarding the hosiery, you will never see drooping socks on a Marine these days.  They wear elastic suspenders connecting socks to shirt which are known as shirt stays and serve the twofold purpose of keeping socks up and shirt taut.  Uniform regulations were slack back then, and hair was much longer.
It's The PitsAccording to the regulations of that period, the Marine on the left who is sporting the Expert Rifleman badge (both Marines have a Marksmanship Badge on the left with an unreadable qualification bar above it), is wearing the Winter Service, A uniform with the correct shell cordovan [shoe leather] dress belt, having placed the "buckle at the center of the waist in front, plate or buckle covering bottom button of coat."  The cloth belt replaced it in 1943.  However, he falls down on Special Regulation 62.e. which states "Socks should conform as nearly as possible to the color of the shoes with which worn."
The Marine on the right with the rifle Sharpshooter badge is wearing a fabric miner's pit belt (which bears a strong resemblance to a military M1917 Garrison Belt), while the sailor wears a leather pit belt.
Pit beltsThanks for the uniform info, Tobacconist. I was also confused about the Marines' belts. 
Are the "miner's pit belts" associated the electric head lamps on the hardhats? I notice that the two guys at right have both lights and pit belts, while our Marine at left is wearing his leather belt and a hardhat -- but no lamp.
Trivia, I know. But fascinating to us history-types.
BeltedThe miner's belt was used to hold the battery for the miner’s cap lamp, and sometimes as a safety harness to prevent falls.  Today it is also used to carry a gas detector, a portable respirator (self-rescuer), and possibly a tool pouch—but no longer serves as a stand-alone safety harness as most jurisdictions require a full body harness for that purpose.  Available with or without suspenders or lumbar support, both the web and the leather styles are still used.  The Amish make one of the most popular leather belts.
Rounding out the rest of the modern safety equipment are steel toed boots, ear plugs, safety glasses, gloves, and of course the hard hat with cap lamp.  The clothes are made of heavy cotton worn under flame-resistant overalls that have reflective strips on them.
(The Gallery, Mining, WW2)

A Lonely Job: 1911
... and a quarter mile from there. (Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Co.) Walls have been whitewashed to make it lighter. January 16, I found ... to buy candles. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 2:28pm -

January 1911. A lonely job. Waiting all alone in the dark for a trip to come through. Willie Bryden, a nipper, lives at 164 Center St. in South Pittston. It was so damp that Willie said he had to be doctoring all the time for his cough. A short distance from here, the gas was pouring into the mine so rapidly that it made a great torch when the foreman lit it. Willie had been working here for four months, 500 feet down the shaft, and a quarter mile from there. (Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Co.) Walls have been whitewashed to make it lighter. January 16, I found Willie at home sick. His mother admitted that he is only 13; will be 14 next July. Said that 4 months ago the mine boss told the father to take Willie to work, and that they obtained the certificate from Squire Barrett. (The only thing the Squire could do was to make Willie out to be 16 yrs old.) Willie's father and brother are miners and the home is that of a frugal German family. View full size. Photograph (5x7 glass negative) and caption by Lewis Wickes Hine.
In the darkJust to emphasize that comment about being in the dark; if the boy wanted any light while he was waiting he would have to buy a candle, and that would pretty quickly put a dent in his wages.  So typically they would sit in absolute darkness except when a load came past.  It's hard to imagine how we'd cope with such a thing today.
Re: In the darkThe kid, like all the other miners, is wearing a lantern on his head with a giant flame. So it's not "absolutely dark." Nobody had to buy candles.

(The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining)

Pasquale and Sandy: 1911
... A young leader and a driver, Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Company mine at Pittston. Pasquale Salvo and Sandy Castina. January 1911. ... larger broader gauge. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 2:27pm -

A young leader and a driver, Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Company mine at Pittston. Pasquale Salvo and Sandy Castina. January 1911. View full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine.
Dual GaugeThe Dual Gauge tracks are interesting.  More than likely the mule cars ran on the narrower tracks, and work equipment on the larger broader gauge.
(The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining)

Major Miner: 1938
September 1938. Capels, West Virginia. "Coal miner waiting for lift home." Last seen here , six years ago. Photo by ... life. How sad After a grueling days work in the coal mine, rolling a cigarette to relax. I don't think they had any idea in ... to guide them. - Dave] (The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/23/2016 - 2:12pm -

September 1938. Capels, West Virginia. "Coal miner waiting for lift home." Last seen here, six years ago. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size.
Black, all overClothes, skin, lungs already, and smoking hand-roll on top.
Probably a relatively short life.
How sadAfter a grueling days work in the coal mine, rolling a cigarette to relax.  I don't think they had any idea in those days.
[If only we had been there to guide them. - Dave]
(The Gallery, M.P. Wolcott, Mining)

Chipso Kids: 1937
... March 1937. "Scott's Run, West Virginia. Pursglove No. 2 coal mine. Scene taken from main highway shows company store and typical ... about it here . (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining, Railroads) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 03/18/2013 - 1:21pm -

March 1937. "Scott's Run, West Virginia. Pursglove No. 2 coal mine. Scene taken from main highway shows company store and typical hillside camp." Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine, three years before his death. View full size.
The worst place in AmericaScott's Run was infamous in the 1930s. An article in The Atlantic in 1935 called it ""the damnedest cesspool of human misery I have ever seen in America." Eleanor Roosevelt's secretary Lenora Hickok visited Scott's Run and described "ramshackle cabins that most Americans would not have considered fit for pigs." More history of the awful place here.
Pursglove No. 2 Mine ExplosionTwenty men were killed in an explosion at this mine on July 9, 1942. Dust and poor ventilation the culprit. Read about it here.
(The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining, Railroads)

Miller Time: 1935
... October 1935. Workers coming off the job at Consolidated Coal in Jenkins, Kentucky. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben ... the FSA. (The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Great Depression, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 11:02am -

October 1935. Workers coming off the job at Consolidated Coal in Jenkins, Kentucky. View full size. 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the FSA.
(The Gallery, Ben Shahn, Great Depression, Mining)

Company Men: 1911
... working in #9 Breaker, Hughestown Borough, Pennsylvania Coal Company. Boy on left is Tony Ross, 142 Panama Street. Other small boy is ... Sunday's Finest Clothes Four Shorpy wannabes. Hard coal breaker boys. Tough dirty job for anybody. A Grim Life Well done ... of a breaker boy . (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/19/2017 - 3:49pm -

January 1911. Pittston, Pennsylvania. "Four Breaker Boys working in #9 Breaker, Hughestown Borough, Pennsylvania Coal Company. Boy on left is Tony Ross, 142 Panama Street. Other small boy is Mike Ross, cousin." Photo by Lewis Wickes Hine for the National Child Labor Committee. View full size.
Sunday's Finest ClothesFour Shorpy wannabes. Hard coal breaker boys. Tough dirty job for anybody. 
A Grim LifeWell done article on the life of a breaker boy.
(The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining)

Quitting Time: 1911
... of the day, just up from the shaft at the Pennsylvania Coal Company's South Pittston mine. Smallest boy, next to right hand end, is a ... by Lewis Wickes Hine. (The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/10/2007 - 2:12pm -

December 1910 or January 1911. At the close of the day, just up from the shaft at the Pennsylvania Coal Company's South Pittston mine. Smallest boy, next to right hand end, is a nipper. On his right is Arthur, a driver. Joe on Arthur's right is a nipper. Frank, boy at left, is a nipper, works a mile underground from the shaft, which is 5000 feet down. View full size. Photograph by Lewis Wickes Hine.
(The Gallery, Kids, Lewis Hine, Mining)

Perfection Kerosene: 1939
January 1939. "Abandoned store in which coal miner on relief lives. Zeigler, Illinois." Medium format negative by ... (The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Mining, Stores & Markets) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/26/2019 - 12:52pm -

January 1939. "Abandoned store in which coal miner on relief lives. Zeigler, Illinois." Medium format negative by Arthur Rothstein for the Farm Security Administration. View full size.
Goodman Wonder ShowsGoodman Wonder Shows of America, owned by Max Goodman. It was a 35-railcar show based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Goodman sold the show in 1949. It was converted to truck transport, its base moved to Illinois and the name was changed to Imperial Expositions. Quite a few pictures here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/19558688@N02/albums/72157633104508236/
(The Gallery, Arthur Rothstein, Mining, Stores & Markets)

Striking Portrait: 1939
"Coal miner during May 1939 strike. Kempton, West Virginia." 4x5 acetate ... out the number on this one. (The Gallery, John Vachon, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/12/2017 - 9:31am -

"Coal miner during May 1939 strike. Kempton, West Virginia." 4x5 acetate negative by John Vachon for the Resettlement Administration. View full size.
Burnside potbelly stoveI found pictures of Burnside stoves with at least two makers in West Virginia: the Charleston Foundry Co. and the West Virginia Foundry & Stove Co. in Huntington.  I've seen the model number on the door as high as 18, but I cannot with any certainty make out the number on this one.
(The Gallery, John Vachon, Mining)

Generations: 1938
September 1938. "Mother-in-law of unemployed coal miner and his child. Marine, West Virginia." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott. ... Very powerful. (The Gallery, Kids, M.P. Wolcott, Mining) ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/14/2015 - 9:27pm -

September 1938. "Mother-in-law of unemployed coal miner and his child. Marine, West Virginia." Photo by Marion Post Wolcott. View full size.
A very powerful photoThis photo brought tears to my eyes.  The grandmother stoically endures her poverty knowing that her grandchild, who she lovingly holds, will no doubt experience the same fate.  Very powerful.
(The Gallery, Kids, M.P. Wolcott, Mining)
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