Bonhams 1793 : MINING - CORNWALL BURROWS (J.C.) and WILLIAM THOMAS. 'Mongst Mines and Miners; or Underground Scenes by Flash-light: A Series of Photographs, with Explantory Letterpress, Illustrating Methods of Working in Cornish Mines. Part I. How the Camera was Used. Part II. A Description of the Subjects, 1893

BURROWS (J.C.) and WILLIAM THOMAS. 'Mongst Mines and Miners; or Underground Scenes by Flash-light: A Series of Photographs, with Explantory Letterpress, Illustrating Methods of Working in Cornish Mines. Part I. How the Camera was Used. Part II. A Description of the Subjects, first edition, folding colour-printed table "Section of Dolcoath Main Lode" (creased, tear at fold), 27 woodburytype prints mounted on 14 sheets (including frontispiece view of "The Chief Mining District of Cornwall"), one illustration, ink stamps on title one leaf, browning to half-title and some leaves (not affecting photographs), publisher's red cloth gilt, g.e., soiled, spine torn with loss, 4to, Camborne, Camborne Printing and Stationery; London, Simpkin, Marshall, 1893

Sold for £437 inc. premium

Footnotes

THE CLASSIC PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF CORNISH MINING. J.C. Burrows had "long experience as a photographer in the most active mining district of Cornwall" and was encouraged to produce this work by William Thomas, Secretary of the Mining Association of Cornwall who provided the text. Includes views of Dolcoath Mine, Cook's Kitchen Mine, East Pool Mine and Blue Hill Mine, many of them depicting miners at work on the coal face. Burrows provides a vivid description on the difficulties of photographing underground "... the temperature there was 100 f. The miners work nearly naked. The camera was attached to the ladder and tilted at an angle of 45. Water dropped everywhere and came from the foot-wall in a steady stream..."

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