I began scanning more of the pictures from my Grandfather’s photo album from the time he was in Silverton, New Denver, and Sandon, 1909.
Here are four mining pictures, three of which are from the album.
Here is his view of the Standard Mine, located between Sandon and Silverton, but closer to Sandon.
There were two pictures of visitors to the mines at Silverton. Of great interest to me is what they were holding in their hands (revealed only upon the image being scanned): a prospector’s hammer and a miner’s candleholder.
The miner’s candleholder had four features: a holder for a candle, a handle, a sharp point for driving it into a mining timber, a hook for hanging on a miner’s hat or on a jagged piece of the rockface.
Here is a miner’s candleholder that was passed down in my family. Such candleholders were used extensively in western hardrock mines from the 1860s to the early 1900s.
So very interesting these old artifacts. Was the candle used for light or was it also used as an indicator of bad air?
Leone, just for light (as far as I know).
Hi Alistair,
What a wonderful little history lesson, and how marvellous that you have one of the actual candleholders! It’s so interesting to see the fellow with glasses holding one, and then to see the actual item.
Wow! I remember seeing one of these sans candle when I was a child and wondering what it was for…now I know. Thanks for that.