Rare Original Mt Bischoff Mining Photograph – “The Red Face” No. 2 – Tasmania c.1900 – 17 × 24 cm
An exceptionally rare and historically important original Tasmanian mining photograph depicting one of the most famous locations on the Mount Bischoff Tin Mine – “The Red Face.” Measuring 17 × 24 cm and mounted to its original larger black album page, this remarkable image captures an enormous gathering of miners posed beneath the towering open-cut workings around the turn of the twentieth century.
The title “THE RED FACE MT BISCHOFF” has been scratched directly into the original glass plate negative, confirming that it was produced by the photographer rather than being a later caption. The image is also numbered “No. 2”, suggesting it formed part of an early photographic series documenting the mine.
The photograph records well over eighty miners and workers, many posed with picks, shovels and drilling implements, together with a young child standing proudly in the foreground. The immense scale of the excavation and the rugged exposed rock face vividly illustrate why Mount Bischoff became one of the world’s most celebrated nineteenth-century tin mines.
Discovered by James “Philosopher” Smith in 1871, Mount Bischoff rapidly transformed Tasmania’s economy. The mine produced extraordinary quantities of cassiterite (tin ore) and for many years ranked amongst the richest tin mines in the world, attracting miners from across Australia and overseas. Images of named locations within the mine such as The Red Face are seldom encountered today, making this a particularly desirable piece of Tasmanian mining history.
The composition possesses wonderful documentary quality, revealing the dress of the miners—broad-brimmed hats, waistcoats, heavy boots and braces—together with the rough benches cut into the hillside and the immense spoil scattered across the foreground. It is an outstanding visual record of one of Australia’s greatest mining enterprises.
Condition
The original photograph remains firmly pasted to its contemporary album mounting sheet. As expected for an image over 120 years old, there is edge wear, several creases, small losses and a few tears, particularly towards the upper edge and right-hand corner. Despite these faults, the image displays remarkably well and retains strong contrast with excellent historical presence. Please examine the photographs carefully as they form part of the description.
Measurements
* Photograph: 17 × 24 cm
* Mounted on larger original black album page
A superb opportunity to acquire:
* Original circa 1900 Tasmanian mining photograph
* Mount Bischoff “The Red Face”
* Title scratched into the original glass plate negative
* Numbered No. 2
* Large-format image showing a remarkable gathering of miners
* Rare documentary record of one of Australia’s greatest nineteenth-century tin mines
* Exceptional display and research piece for collectors of Tasmanian history, mining memorabilia and early Australian photography.
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