Inside the Mines
This is a photograph of a miner with an early version of a headlamp. Headlamps made it easier to see inside the mines. After looking at the picturesque view of the coal mines that are portrayed on most of the postcards, think about how that image lines up with the photographs of the working miners.
This photograph shows the undercut face in an unidentified mine.
This is a photograph that shows miners shoveling and drilling down in an unidentified mine. The only thing that is identified on the back of the photograph is that this image was taken at the face in the forge vein at #44 slope.
This photograph shows a mine tunnel with tracks, an air hose, and a thin coal vein.
This photograph shows a miner leading a two-mule team pulling a loaded mine car in an undientified tunnel. Animals, such as mules, were often used in the mines to pull the cars after miners had filled them with coal.
This photograph shows a loaded mine car in an unidentified tunnel.
This photograph depicts a mine mule in a stable. While it is difficult to distinguish in the picture, the stable is possibly underground. Why do you think miners would have chosen to keep the mules underground instead of above ground?
This is a photograph of a mine tunnel with an electrical panel. The electrical panel was used to charge the electrical locomotives.
This photograph shows the electrical locomotives in an unidentified mine tunnel. In the previous photograph, there was an electrical panel, which was used to charge the locomotives, also known as "lokies."
This is another photograph showing an electrical control panel from a different angle.
This photograph shows three unidentified mine workers. They appear to be posed in a coal breaker.
This photograph is interesting because it shows several children who worked in the mines. Children who worked in the mines were usually about nine to fifteen years old, and some of them were called "breaker boys." Children were often used to sort the usable coal from the other minerals, at least until child labor laws took effect.
This is a photograph of a company sign located in the Glen Alden Coal Mines. The sign advises any miner who is injured to report that injury to the foreman immediately. The sign appears to be in seven different languages. Based on this sign, safety measures were taken seriously in the mines.
This is a photograph of Freeman Thomas, who was a coal prospector in 1811. Not much else is known about Freeman Thomas at this time. If you know any information about him, please let us know in a comment!
This image shows a mine surveying crew. Mine surveyors held a lot of responsibility for the safety of everyone who worked in the coal mines. They were responsible for inspecting the mines for dangerous risks and environmental impacts, as well as for creating maps of the mines.
This photograph shows a close-up view of a switch on tracks.
This photograph shows a steam lokie, which is another name for a locomotive. A steam lokie is powered by a steam engine, which was fueled by coal.
This photograph shows a different locomotive, which was owned by the Cox Coal Company.
This photograph shows a locomotive and mine cars.
This photograph shows the Monument to the Coal Miner that was erected in 1979 in Pittston, Pennsylvania.
This is a photograph of a massive piece of coal taken from Maxwell #20. The weight is 6 tons; the height is 4 feet; the length is 6 feet; the width is 4.5 feet. This piece of coal belonged to the Lehigh and Wilkes-Barre Coal Company.
This photograph shows a miner trimming loose rock from the inside of an unidentified mine. After trimming the loose rock and loading it into a pile, the miner then had to erect more timber to make the roof of the mine more stable.
This photograph shows a miner leading a mule. The mule is pulling a mine car. Mine cars of this size could typically hold about three tons of coal or five tons of rock at one time. Mules were usually used in teams. Can you think of any reasons why there may not have been a team of mules in this photograph?
This photograph shows the opening to Abijah Smith's original coal mining site. The actual mine that he chose opened in 1807. Both exact locations, of the original site and the actual site, are unknown.
This is a photograph of Abijah Smith's Coal Opening in 1807. Earlier, there was a photograph of Smith's original prospecting site. What do you think are some of the reasons why Abijah Smith may have chosen to change locations?
This photograph shows a different angle of Abijah Smith's Coal Opening in 1807.
This photograph shows timbers and coal chutes at close view.
This photograph shows what is assumed to be early colliery grounds at an unidentified location.
This photograph shows three men in the Nottingham Mines. William Roberts is in the center and Ben Davis is on the right. The third man in the photograph is unidentified.
This photograph shows a cut tunnel in an unidentified mine. Not much else is known about this particular mine, except that the photograph was taken on October 13, 1958.
This photograph shows a 48-inch auger hole in an unidentified mine. An auger is a tool that is used to bore through thicker or tougher material.
This is a photograph of an unidentified mine scene dated October 13, 1958.
This photograph depicts the number 13 gangway in an unidentified mine. A gangway is basically a passageway, so this would be the 13th passageway in this mine.
This is a photograph of the number 8 slope in the west gangway of an unidentified mine.
This photograph shows a 24-inch hole in an unidentified mine. There are a few notes handwritten on the back of the photograph placing this hole between the mine's number 12 and number 11 gangways and dating it to September 11, 1959.
This photograph shows a borer hole in the number 13 gangway in an unidentified mine.
This is a photograph of three miners seated with their tools. The miners are unidentified, but the photograph is dated January 14, 1960.
In this photograph, an unidentified miner is showing the construction of a tunnel. The photo is dated 1960.
This photograph shows a mine scene with machinery in 1960. The miner in the photograph is unidentified, and the specific type of machine is also unknown. If you can identify the man or the machine - let us know in a comment!
This is a photograph of an unidentified mine.
This is another photograph of an unidentified mine.
This is a photograph of the rock face and timbers in an unidentified mine and dates to January 14, 1960.
This is a photograph of a rock face in an unidentified mine.
This is a photograph of an unidentified mine scene.
This is a photograph of a scene at the number 11 gangway in an unidentified mine.
This is a photograph of a the number 12 gangway in an unidentified mine.
The photograph shown here shows the number 8 colliery in an unidentified location.
The photograph seen here shows a scene at the number 13 gangway in an unidentified mine.
The photograph shown here shows a scene at the number 14 gangway in an unidentified mine.
This is a photograph of eight miners in the 1920s. The only miner that has been identified in the photograph is David Meredith. He is the miner with the pipe on the right.
This is a photograph of Gladstone E. Roberts sitting on top of a coal car inspecting coal. Gladstone Roberts and his brother, William Roberts, appear in several photographs in this collection.
There are six men in this photograph, however, only two have been identified. Ben Davis is on the right, and Gladstone Roberts is at the rear. They are located in the Nottingham Shaft in Plymouth, Pennsylvania.
This is a photograph of William and Gladstone Roberts in the mule barn at the Nottingham Shaft in Plymouth, Pennsylvania.
This photograph shows three men picking coal at the Wadham's Creek Ravine in Plymouth, Pennsylvania. From left to right, the men have been identified as Sam Davis, William Roberts, and Gladstone Roberts.
This is a photograph of the coal cars at Washington Colliery.
This is a photograph of an unidentified mine on top of a coal car with a breaker in the background.
This is a photograph of a man on a hopper car.
This is a photograph of a timber wall inside the mine tunnel of an unidentified mine.
The photograph seen here shows a mine tunnel that has been partly boarded up.
This photograph shows a panoramic view overlooking Public Square. Even though the photograph is a bit faded, there are mining buildings in the background.
This is a photograph of an unidentified mine.
This is another photograph of an unidentified mine.
This is another photograph of an unidentified mine.
This photograph shows the interior of an unknown mine shaft. This photograph was taken by Joseph Hursty, Jr. and comes from his collection.
John L. Lewis, Thomas McKinley, and Father Curran each have their own connections to the coal miners of northeastern Pennsylvania, particularly as officials. What do you think is the significance of knowing and understanding who the officials were and how they affected the coal mining industry?