Quarrying Collection

Polkanuggo Quarry, Stithians, Cornwall. September 1902
A view of the quarry face showing workers sitting on a granite block weighing an estimated 2, 738 tons. It was claimed to be the largest single block ever quarried

Polkanuggo Quarry, Stithians, Cornwall. 1903-1904
A general view of Polkanuggo Quarry with steam traction engine BETA No 483 and workers posing for the camera. The traction engine was made around June 1885 by John Fowler of Leeds

Quarry in Mabe or Constantine, Cornwall. 1903-1904
A view of the quarry face showing two workers with sledge hammers standing by a granite block that is being dressed. Part of the Freeman & Sons, Penryn Collection. Photographer: Unknown

Buddon Wood, Mountsorrel, Swithland, Leicestershire
Sketch of the granite (or syenite) district viewed from Swithland Old Slate Quarry, including Buddon Wood, Mountsorrel, Kinchley Hill and Brazil Wood, Leicestershire

Pulpit Rock - Portland Bill
This is Pulpit Rock a few hundred metres from Portland Bill lighthouse in Dorset. The artificial stack of rock was left in the 1870s after a natural arch was cut away by quarrymen at the Bill Quarry

Man at work, Dinorwig Slate Quarry, North Wales
A man at work, 150 feet up on the main face of Dinorwig (or Dinorwic) Slate Quarry, near Llanberis, North Wales

General view of Dinorwig Slate Quarry, North Wales
A general view of Dinorwig (or Dinorwic) Slate Quarry, near Llanberis, North Wales, soon to be changed for ever with the construction of a new dam

Penrhyn quarry, the largest slate quarry in Wales, Bethesda, Snowdonia, North Wales, Wales, United Kingdom, Europe

Bingham Canyon copper mine, largest man-made hole in the world, United States of America, North America

Gold Mining Ghost Town of Bodie, Bodie State Historic Park, California, USA

Wheal Coates Mine, St. Agnes, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Wheal Coates Mine, St Agnes, Cornwall, England, UK

Botallack Tin Mine on the coast, Cornwall, England, UK

Blocks being cut in a marble quarry used by Michaelangelo, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy, Europe

Chuqui open-pit copper mine, 4km long, 720m d eep, trucks each carrying 300t of ore, Chuquicamata, Calama, Chile, South America

Freeman & Sons dressing floor, probably Penryn, Cornwall. 1903-1904
Classical granite columns on the dressing floor of Freeman & Sons works. The man pictured is either Bernard Freeman or his brother. Part of the Freeman & Sons, Penryn Collection. Photographer: Unknown

Transporting granite blocks for King Alfreds statue to Penryn Station, Penryn, Cornwall. 1901
Fowler traction engines 7974 and 9016 are pictured hauling blocks of granite from one of the Mabe quarries to Penryn Station, for onward transportation by train to Winchester, Hampshire

Tresahor Quarry, Constantine, Cornwall. 1903-1904
A general view of the quarry with the crane used for moving the granite blocks. Part of the Freeman & Sons, Penryn Collection. Photographer: Unknown

Polkanuggo Quarry, Stithians, Cornwall. Around 1900
A view of the quarry face showing workers holding the tools of their trade while dressing stones. Blocks of granite are ready to be moved using the cranes based at the edge of the quarry

Penrhyn Slate Quarries
View of the Penrhyn slate quarries at Bethesda, Gwynnedd. Date: early 20th century

Abandoned gold mine, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Australia, Pacific

Advert, John More & Sons, Quarry Masters, Airdrie
Advert for John More & Sons, Quarry Masters, Airdrie, Scotland. 1905

A Stone Quarry, 1833 (colour litho)
STC169232 A Stone Quarry, 1833 (colour litho) by Kretzschmer, H. (fl.1883) (after); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; German, out of copyright

Granite Quarries, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire
Sketch of Granite Quarries, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, viewed from the rocks near Buddon Wood, by Reverend Baden Powell (1796-1860), father of Robert Baden Powell. 1859

Brazil Wood, Swithland, Leicestershire
Sketch of quarrying (probably granite) at Brazil Wood, Swithland, Leicestershire, by Reverend Baden Powell (1796-1860), father of Robert Baden Powell. 1859

Swithland, Leicestershire, with granite and slate quarries
Sketch of the Swithland area of Leicestershire, with granite at the top of Kinchley Hill, a small quarry to the right, Buddon Wood (granite) to the right, and Charnwood Forest (slate) to the left

Kinchley Hill and Brazil Wood, Swithland, Leicestershire
Sketch of granite rocks at Kinchley Hill and Brazil Wood, Swithland, Leicestershire, by Reverend Baden Powell (1796-1860), father of Robert Baden Powell. 1859

Marble quarry used by Michaelangelo, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy, Europe

Mined sea salt at shallow south end of the Dead Sea near Ein Boqeq, Israel, Middle East

Open cast marble mine, Greece, Europe

Tin mine on coast, Botallack, Cornwall, England, UK, Europe

Protest, Lanlivery, Cornwall. 1993
Opponents of the proposed re-opening of a granite quarry marched between Lanlivery and Luxulyan armed with a 40 foot banner Luxulyan Valley say no quarry and led by a Cornish bagpiper

Maen Quarry, Constantine, Cornwall. 1903-1904
A general view of the quarry with the crane used for moving the granite blocks. A number men can be seen with cut blocks at the foot of the quarry face. Part of the Freeman & Sons, Penryn Collection

Bosahan Quarry, Constantine, Cornwall. 1903-1904
General view of the quarry with men standing by cut granite blocks and the crane used for moving the blocks. Two men are standing either side of a horse and cart

Maen Quarry, Constantine, Cornwall. Around 1900
A view of the quarry face showing workers holding the tools of their trade while dressing stones. Blocks of granite are ready to be moved using the crane. Photographer: Samuel John Govier

Women packing dynamite cartridges, 1888. Explosives factory at, Val Bormida, near Cengio, North West Italy
538432 Women packing dynamite cartridges, 1888. Explosives factory at, Val Bormida, near Cengio, North West Italy. From La Nature, Paris, 1888

An engraving depicting a slate quarry in North Wales, 19th century
5310738 An engraving depicting a slate quarry in North Wales, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1815); Universal History Archive/UIG

An engraving depicting a slate quarry in North Wales. Three explosive charges were detonated
5310732 An engraving depicting a slate quarry in North Wales. Three explosive charges were detonated. Illustrated by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd (1792-1864) a topographical watercolour artist

Nitroglycerin processing plant, explosives factory, Val Bormida, near Cengio, North West Italy, 1888
538429 Nitroglycerin processing plant, explosives factory, Val Bormida, near Cengio, North West Italy, 1888. From La Nature, Paris, 1888

Kirosskii quarry, 1915. Creator: Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky
Kirosskii quarry, 1915

The British Association at Bath: the village and quarries at Holwell, near Bath, 1864. Creator: Unknown
The British Association at Bath: the village and quarries at Holwell, near Bath, 1864. Two hundred persons, on Saturday, accompanied Mr. C

Granite Quarries, Trawool, Victoria, 1901. Creator: Unknown
Granite Quarries, Trawool, Victoria, 1901. Trawool in central Victoria, on the middle reaches of the Goulburn River, first explored by Hume and Hovell in 1824, was later settled as a sheep station

M6 Motorway construction JLP01_08_078138
EDEN, CUMBRIA. Two men blasting and drilling rocks during the construction of the M6 Motorway through the Lune Gorge. Rock excavations used in the construction of the motorway took place at a quarry

American Sketches: Prison Life in Blackwell's Island, New York - outdoor work, 1876. Creator: Unknown
American Sketches: Prison Life in Blackwell's Island, New York - outdoor work, 1876. The outdoor employments assigned to most of the male convicts, who number above five hundred

In the Quarry. Motif from Switzerland, 1886. Creator: Axel Jungstedt
In the Quarry. Motif from Switzerland, 1886

Stonequarry by the River Oise II, 1877. Creator: Carl Fredrik Hill
Stonequarry by the River Oise II, 1877

Quarry at Pontresina, 1869. Creator: Jozef Israels
Quarry at Pontresina, 1869

Copper mine or quarry, near Montreal, Canada - from a sketch by our special artist... 1860. Creator: Unknown
Copper mine or quarry, near Montreal, Canada - from a sketch by our special artist, G. A. Andrews, 1860. Excitement due to the...discovery of an immense deposit of copper ore in the hillside near

Loading, a New England granite quarry, c1908. Creator: Unknown
Loading, a New England granite quarry, c1908

Channeling, a New England granite quarry, c1908. Creator: Unknown
Channeling, a New England granite quarry, c1908

Quarrying, a New England granite quarry, c1908. Creator: Unknown
Quarrying, a New England granite quarry, c1908

Republic Marble quarry, near Knoxville, Tenn. between 1900 and 1910. Creator: Unknown
Republic Marble quarry, near Knoxville, Tenn. between 1900 and 1910

The Lizard Serpentine Signal-Staff Quarry, near Cadgwith, Cornwall, 1854. Creator: Unknown
The Lizard Serpentine Signal-Staff Quarry, near Cadgwith, Cornwall, 1854. This Quarry...is being worked by Henderson's patented

Marble quarry, Macedonia
3789436 Marble quarry, Macedonia; (add.info.: Marble quarry, Macedonia. On the Kozani road. Early 20th century); Lebrecht History

Italy Carrara Marble Quarry pre-1900

Penrhyn Slate Quarry near Bethesda Victorian period

Clogau St. David's Gold Mine near Bontddu early 1900s

Gwynfynydd Gold Mine near Dolgellau early 1900s

Gwynfynydd Gold Mine near Dolgellau - panning room - early 1900s

Frongoch lead and zinc mine near Pontrhydygroes early 1900s

Welsh Gold Prospectors early 1900s

Saint-Beat Marble Quarry Haute-Garonne France Victorian period - showroom

Delabole Slate Quarry Victorian period

Farm workers in Cornwall Victorian period

Swaledale Swinner Gill Lead Mine early 1900s

Miner working a high seam Victorian period

Coal mine lattice steel headgear early 1900s

Coal mine pit pony Victorian period

Waterwheel, Tregargus China Clay Quarry, St Stephen, Cornwall, early 1900s

Tregargus China Clay Quarry, St Stephen, Cornwall, early 1900s

Tramway, Tregargus China Clay Quarry, St Stephen, Cornwall, early 1900s

Backworth Colliery early 1900s

Carn Brea Tin and Copper Mines early 1900s

Six Bells Colliery Abertillery Wales early 1900s

Penryhn Slate Quarry, North Wales

Penrhyn Slate Quarry Wales Victorian period

The Old Quarry, Hawksworth, 1904 (oil on canvas)
1128197 The Old Quarry, Hawksworth, 1904 (oil on canvas) by Rothenstein, William (1872-1945); 84.5x91.5 cm; Bradford Art Galleries and Museums, West Yorkshire, UK; © Bradford Museums & Galleries

The Sand Pits, Hampstead Heath, 1834. Creator: John Linnell
The Sand Pits, Hampstead Heath, 1834

Corinth, Ancient Greece (engraving)
5216614 Corinth, Ancient Greece (engraving) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Corinth, Ancient Greece)

A china clay pit (colour litho)
6014590 A china clay pit (colour litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: A china clay pit)

Fresh Air and Healthy Work for City Arabs, Notes at the Lancashire Branch of the Childrens Home, Crowthorne, Edgworth
1055722 Fresh Air and Healthy Work for City Arabs, Notes at the Lancashire Branch of the Childrens Home, Crowthorne, Edgworth, near Bolton (engraving) by Staniland, Charles J

Lithographic limestone (chromolitho)
2782523 Lithographic limestone (chromolitho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Lithographic limestone. Liebig card, published in late 19th or early 20th century)

Granite (chromolitho)
2782522 Granite (chromolitho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Granite. Liebig card, published in late 19th or early 20th century)

Black Marble Quarry near Red Wharf Bay, Anglesea, from
STC267589 Black Marble Quarry near Red Wharf Bay, Anglesea, from A Voyage Around Great Britain Undertaken between the Years 1814 and 1825, published 1815 (coloured engraving) by Daniell

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Quarrying, a timeless practice that has shaped landscapes and fueled industries for centuries. From the rugged Polkanuggo Quarry in Stithians, Cornwall to the picturesque Buddon Wood in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, these locations hold stories of labor and perseverance. In September 1902, at Polkanuggo Quarry in Stithians, Cornwall, the air was filled with anticipation as workers prepared to extract precious materials from deep within the earth. The echoes of their tools reverberated through time, leaving behind a legacy etched into the very fabric of this historic site. Meanwhile, in Dinorwig Slate Quarry nestled amidst North Wales' majestic scenery, a lone figure tirelessly toiled against nature's might. With each strike of his pickaxe and every load he carried on his back, he contributed to an industry that built nations. Venturing further south along England's coast lies Pulpit Rock - Portland Bill. Here stands a testament to man's ingenuity as quarrying techniques were employed to shape nature itself into magnificent structures that defy gravity. Moving westward towards Bethesda in Snowdonia lies Penrhyn quarry - an awe-inspiring sight that stretches as far as the eye can see. This colossal slate quarry holds its place among giants and remains one of Wales' most iconic landmarks. General view of Dinorwig Slate Quarry showcases not only its sheer magnitude but also highlights how human determination can conquer even the harshest terrains. It serves as a reminder that our quest for resources knows no bounds when it comes to shaping our world. Wheal Coates Mine in St Agnes tells tales of Cornish miners who delved deep underground searching for tin treasures beneath their feet. Their bravery and resilience are forever etched into this coastal landscape where history meets natural beauty. Across borders we find ourselves transported to Apuan Alps in Tuscany where blocks were meticulously cut from marble quarries, destined to be transformed by the hands of masters like Michelangelo.