Cornish Mine Images · AditNow Community

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

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simontheminer
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Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

Good evening all, for those who are interested I have completed the South Crofty Underground galleries on my website "Cornish Mine Images". Its been a task to print them all in the darkroom but there are now nearly 300 images completed. I hope you enjoy seeing them.
http://www.cornishmineimages.co.uk/south-crofty-mine-underground/

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waggy
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Excellent pics great to see!. Thanks 😉

[i]I am always upto my neck in it!

lozz
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Excellent, a landmark collection in my opinion.

Lozz.

Morlock
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Newbie

11 years ago

Very interesting images.:)

Dolcoathguy
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

Simon
Posted a link to your website on modern mine images on a message further down about clay pit photography.
Look forward to a possible book one day?

Is it safe to come out of the bunker yet?

simontheminer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

Thanks for the kind comments, I don't know about a book, the website has become a bit of a mission, I just wanted to do what I have done. The website will continue to grow, I have loads to do in the darkroom

Brakeman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

"lozz" wrote:
Excellent, a landmark collection in my opinion.

Lozz.

I would agree with the above statement, this has to be one of the best Cornish mine photo collections I have seen. You have managed to convey the true conditions of a working mine extremely well, Well done!

Such a great shame that all of this is flooded and lost.

The management thanks you for your co operation.

lozz
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

"lozz" wrote:
Excellent, a landmark collection in my opinion.

Lozz.

I would ask the council or some other body to pay for a set of duplicates of your whole collection with a view to depositing them with the County Records Office.

Lozz.

rufenig
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

"lozz" wrote:

"lozz" wrote:
Excellent, a landmark collection in my opinion.

Lozz.

I would ask the council or some other body to pay for a set of duplicates of your whole collection with a view to depositing them with the County Records Office.

Lozz.

The local Record office might well be happy with a digital copy / set.
This is simpler for them to give access to interested people.
In theory this is also a method of safeguarding digital storage. :smartass:

Edit: By the way what a fantastic site and work. It puts a lot of us to shame.
How many other people have interesting historical images just going dusty somewhere that could be shared?

Horsemaddad
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#10

Simontheminer,
What a stupendous achievement! I know, with hindsight, you always wish you had done more at the time, but none of us can see the future. I've only had a quick look through the first five albums but I'm mightily impressed to say the least!
We all owe you a debt of gratitude for having the foresight to capture these images before it was too late. And you did it all BEFORE the age of the digital camera!
If you ever get round to producing a book, then put me on the list for a copy!
Colin.

Colin

ebgb
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#11

What makes them even greater is the fact they were shot on neg, and have been lovingly hand processed. makes them all the more worthwhile and a far greater achievement in my book. So easy to lash off 500+ shots these days, then spend a few minutes in Photoshop and say here's a great shot I took.

These are a different class entirely

respect sir!

http://bf494.co.uk

Morlock
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#12

"ebgb" wrote:

These are a different class entirely

respect sir!

Well said.

J25GTi
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#13

Stunning, brilliant photos,

Tamarmole
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#14

They are fantastic.

One query (possibly one for Agricola) - the site refers to NCK shaft going down to the 400. My memory is hazy (having only been there once back in November 97) but I seem to recall that NCK "only" went down to 380, the 400 being reached via a decline which extended down to the 440.

simontheminer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

#15

Hi Tamarmole thanks for the feedback, Robs went down to 380 and Cooks went down to 400, the decline could be accessed from Cooks 380. The last station on Cooks was the 400 fathom where it was planned to site a pump station to bring water up from 445 and eventually 470 fathom levels. Glad everyone is enjoying the pictures, thanks again

Horsemaddad
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#16

What makes these photos even more remarkable is that you have taken them all in what was a busy working environment as a visitor! When I take photos u/g I have all the time in the world to get it right, with a digital camera I know in seconds if its OK or a dud and I have a very willing assistant who is more than happy to run up and down waving flashes about.
The fact that you gained free access speaks volumes for both your approach and the helpfulness of the staffs at Crofty.
In a way, they remind me of the work of the US railway photographer the late O. Winston Link. He spent six years photographing the last of US steam on the Norfolk and Western system between 1955 and 1961. He only took photos at night using flash bulbs and he worked in black and white as well. Like yours, his photos were truly evocative!

Colin

lozz
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#17

When I worked down there there was a level difference between Cooks and Robo's, I think Robo's 310 fm was 315 fm at Cooks from memory, sometimes we had to walk underground from Robo's to Cooks if Robo's shaft had been knocked out of action for any reason during the shift. Cooks used to be a bumpy ride back then.

Lozz.

Morrisman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#18

Amazing photos! Your website has been bookmarked in my "favourites" for a while now, so wonderful to see the new Crofty additions. Kept me up late just admiring them. Thankyou for your efforts. :thumbsup:

dwarrowdelf
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

11 years ago

#19

Great photos. Have been exploring mines for a while now, mostly in North Wales, and always give a thought for what they might have been like in their working days. Rare photos such as these are what I like to see. So few such high quality images are actually in print or available online. A most welcome and valuable documentation.

'I wonder how many breakfasts, and other meals we have missed inside that nasty clockless, timeless hole?'

'The Hobbit'
J R R Tolkien.

simontheminer
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

11 years ago

#20

I wish I had more time to plan the shots, but that would have possibly spoilt the feeling of the images, it was all luck that I gained access to South Crofty, but once I was known I made friends and tried to give something back. I always took prints down for the miners I photographed along with a bottle of alcohol for the geologist who took me underground. The dry manager I always gave £5 every time for cleaning my kit and looking after me. I think they appreciated the little things, the fact I always kept out the way and remained as invisible as possible and treated them with respect.
The whole website is based around Cornwall and has taken more than a few hours in the darkroom over more than a few years. All I wanted to do was give something back and have these guys remembered. All these comments are a bit overwhelming, thank you everyone