Tour-Ed Mine part 2
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A simple fact, known by most photographers, is that the people and particularly the Coal Miners of Appalachia make for absolutely fantastic subjects, when the question of portraiture comes up. As the saying goes – the map of the world is written upon that face.
That’s Bob, a retired coal miner who was our tour guide at the Tour-Ed Mine and Museum, in Allegheny County’s Borough of Tarentum, which can be found after about 40 minute’s worth of highway driving east of Pittsburgh.
Bob was demonstrating how you’d keep the roof from collapsing in on yourself, were you to find yourself working in a coal mine.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’m afraid I just have to get used to the presence of LED lighting everywhere, despite the fact that its garish coloration makes everything resemble the 1990 Warren Beatty movie production of ‘Dick Tracy.’
It’d been a while since I executed any low light photography, as a note. Real pleasure to slip back into the groove down here.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Bob demonstrated several of the mechanical tools used in his trade. A sort of rock drill, various systems that moved coal particles along a conveyor belt, a kind of vehicle that replaced the Donkeys which once hauled the mined coal back up to the portal. It was all pretty neat.
And loud, super loud, especially so in the confined spaces when he activated the equipment. Once again, and the third time I’m saying this, I would not have lasted a half hour at this job.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This gizmo was set into the floor, and there was a conveyor belt which moved towards those two lobster claw looking appendages, designed to sweep coal towards the belt, and fall into a chute that went to god knows where.
Wow.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Bob described life on the job to us. He filled us in on how miners communicate in the dusty dark environment, via head motions that move the lanterns on their hats in patterns.
Bob also said this manner of communication got so incorporated into his thoughts that he’d be at home and if his wife asked if he wanted dinner, his answer would often involve him just rotating his head around in a circle so as to say yes.
Bob was very, very good at presenting this material, and it was obvious he’s conducted this tour hundreds of times.
From one guide of unconventional places to another, good show, Bob.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I pulled my usual ‘blind shot’ gambit on the way back to the surface.
Shooting with the camera’s autofocus locked in the dead center of the frame, and hoping for the best. Lots of pictures of motion blurred rocks, but that link will take to iterations of the shots at Flickr if you’re curious.
Our Lady of the Pentacle and myself had a great time here, which we followed up with a pretty nice luncheon at a nearby establishment called ‘JG’s Tarentum Station Grille,’ which is housed in Tarentum’s 1913 vintage former train station.
Good stuff, and Our Lady in particular was pleased indeed.
After lunch, well…
Back tomorrow with all that…
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