Bucket Dredge Pictures - 1940's to1960's

[IDdesertman]

Hey guys, I thought these would be worth sharing. I while back I had a lady email me saying that she had boxes and boxes of mining pictures on 35mm slides, several hundred pics in total. She was going to throw them away because she didn't know what to do with them. Luckily she contacted me and asked if I wanted them. Heck yes I do!

The pics were taken by her late father, Charles Romanowitz who he worked for the Yuba Dredge Company from 1941 through the mid 1960s. He traveled around to various goldfield around the world. I've got to sort through them and transfer them to digital. There are hundred of pictures, as far as I know they haven't been seen by anyone for decades. Most of the pics from California and Alaska, but also some from Korea, Russia, Indonesia, and the Panama Canal.

For a mining nerd like me these are pure gold. Lots of the pics show the internal workings of the dredges, stuff that you don't see very often. I'll share a few here..This first batch of pics is from a dredge in Good News Bay, Alaska. This one was actually a platinum dredging operation..

 

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[Oddjob]

Thats some cool history to have.

 

[arthos]

Way cool, I'll be following along.

 

[IDdesertman]

A couple more interesting pics from inside the trommel and one with the men inspecting the buckets from a boat. Talk about moving some serious material!

 

[IDdesertman]

Dredge in Bear Valley, Idaho.

 

[63bkpkr]

Howdy IDdesertman, those pictures are Great! I'm looking forward to further installments and thank you for them!! A question, what brand/model/price digital transfer device are you using, the results are marvelous?....................63bkpkr

 

[wildminer]

Great pictures! There must have been big nuggets going through those trommel holes!

 

[Assembler]

Great pictures! There must have been big nuggets going through those trommel holes!

Some nice values in rocks going out as tail rocks as well.
Thanks for posting the great pictures.

 

[IDdesertman]

Howdy IDdesertman, those pictures are Great! I'm looking forward to further installments and thank you for them!! A question, what brand/model/price digital transfer device are you using, the results are marvelous?....................63bkpkr

Believe it or not, I am just holding the slides up to a lamp and taking a picture using a macro lens. Took a bit of experimentation but it seems to work alright and don't have to pay to have it done that way!

Here are a few more pics. The first is the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge, the other is some mining equipment in Southern Arizona near the Mexico border.

 

[arizau]

Believe it or not, I am just holding the slides up to a lamp and taking a picture using a macro lens. Took a bit of experimentation but it seems to work alright and don't have to pay to have it done that way!

Here are a few more pics. The first is the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge, the other is some mining equipment in Southern Arizona near the Mexico border.

More specifics about the Arizona equipment? I'm guessing Greaterville area.

 

[Rob in KS]

You can get inexpensive slide scanners on Ebay. You might want to check into that. Scan your slides and re-sell it on Ebay.

 

[Gambrinus]

Do you have any pics from the Boise Basin or Idaho City?

The dredge in Bear Valley was recovering rare earth metals.

 

[Rail Dawg]

Why did the tailings conveyor (stacker) have a cover?

Always wondered about that.

 

[Gambrinus]

Why did the tailings conveyor (stacker) have a cover?

Always wondered about that.

Snow, rain, the "oiler" had to grease the rollers on the stacker almost constantly.

 

[1637]

i think theres one one in northern calif that was still running a few years ago.i dont know if its still going.i heard it would dig about 125 feet ,then lower the water and dig again. yes in calif. there was one near randsburg calif that brokeup when they were moving it and they just left it.its yuba number 17
cool stuff brad

 

[IDdesertman]

More specifics about the Arizona equipment? I'm guessing Greaterville area.

Yep, slide says Sonoita on it.

Here are a few from the Natoma #6 Dredge near Folsom, CA taken July, 1959.

 

[boogeyman]

This might help you out some. Vista Quest FS-503 Digital film & slide scanner. Uses a SD card, or you can scan into photo Shop. They're easy to find for under $25. I like being able to sit in front of the TV or the big plus! The ability to scan a copy of film or slides the owner doesn't want to give away or sell! I mickey moused a holder for 110 film, does a nice job. One hint, buy two or three cans of canned air for computers!!! You'll need it!!

BTW, excellent job doing what you're doing now!!

 

[IDdesertman]

This is the Natoma #6 Dredge that operated near Folsom, CA. Pictures dated July, 1959.

 

[IDdesertman]

A few more...

 

[outnaboutnak]

Fantastic, thanks for sharing these!