Yes, it is a puzzle that the great mines of west Devon (e.g. Devon Great
Consols, Wheal Friendship etc) are so poorly represented photographically.
I've been collecting mining photographs for more than 30 years and they are
mostly as rare as hen's teeth but it's amazing what still tunrs up, so I
would be hopeful that eventually more 19th century and early 20th century
images of the Tamar valley mines will surface from family albums etc.
Tom Greeves.
----- Original Message -----
From: "SUBSCRIBE mining-history Lee Lamble" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 12:26 PM
Subject: Re: Company Camera Men
>I don't know about company photographers but even without them, there
>should
> be a lot more photographs around than there seems to be (good or bad). In
> my
> area of interest (geographically) - the Tamar Valley it seems
> inconceivable
> that the excitement and (admittedly short lived) prosperity bought to the
> area by the mines seems to have gone largely un-photographed, particularly
> given the abundance of images of other areas and activities during the
> period of serious mining activity in the Tamar Valley - Towns, Railways,
> Boats, Dartmoor etc.
>
> There are photographs of course, but not nearly enough.
>
> I do wonder whether at some point in the past these 'missing' photos have
> been 'collected'. Perhaps they might surface one day, perhaps they are
> lost
> forever, or perhaps they were never photographed (my least favourite
> theory).
>
> What does anyone else think?
>
> Lee
>
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