'MONGST MINES AND MINERS; or Underground Scenes by Flash-Light: A Series of Photographs, with Explanatory Letterpress, Illustrating Methods of Working in Cornish Mines. by Burrow, J. C.; Thomas, William - 1893

London and Camborne: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Co., Limited [and] Cambourne Printing and Stationery Co., Ld., 1893. An outstanding copy - in very good, original, condition, inscribed and signed by the author to the verso of the front free end paper 'To J. D. Geddes Esq. with J. C. Burrows compliments.' Pp. 32 (including half title and title pages). Complete with 26 b/w original mounted woodburytype photographs (mounted two per sheet with printed captions below) plus the large mounted frontispiece photograph of 'The Chief Mining District of Cornwall'; folding colour printed section of Dolcoath Main Lode, one illustration. Original textured red cloth with gilt lettering and decoration to the front board and spine. All edges gilt. Binding very good with light wear only, cloth slightly marked, lightly scuffed to the head/tail of the spine. Contents clean and tight, original yellow-coated endpapers, internal hinges with light wear, contents are fimly bound, minimal spotting to the odd page, several tissue guards to the plates creased, one with a tear to the fore-edge. An outstanding copy. [This title is nearly always found in worn and soiled condition - by far the best copy we have seen] Notes: The classic photographic record of Cornish Mining. J. C. Burrows (photographer to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales) 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...". Signed by Author. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 4to (25 x 31 cm). Book.