Collection

Climbing into kibbles at the shaft-head, the shift gets ready to go down, President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, Orange Free State

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

In a kibble going down with master sinker Butch Britz (right). Pipes and cables in the shaft sides streaking past. Daylight disappearing above. In a moment, big doors will cover the top of the shaft to prevent anything falling from the surface onto the me

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

The sidewall: Treacherous shale at this stage. As the shaft deepens, so the stage will be lowered and its crew will line the side wall with concrete, so covering the shale with its tendency to fracture

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

Hailed by the team, the cactus grab dumps a load of rock into a kibble. The driver of the grab swings the machine around the confined space of the shaft in seemingly manic abandon as he seeks mouthfuls of rock. The men, lithe and nimble, dodge the grab wh

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

From the shaft bottom, looking up at the stage and kibble about to pass through it

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

Shaftsinking: The team clusters at the centre of the shaft bottom to avoid rock dislodged from the sidewall while the stage is lowered to a new position. President Stein No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, Orange Free State

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

Shaftsinking: The cactus grab has dumped the last load of big rocks into the kibble. Now the men clear the smaller rocks from the bottom, loading the kibble with shovels. President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, Orange Free State

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)

A kibble loaded with rock has just been shackled to the hoist cable. Above is the stage. The loaded kibble will be hauled through the hole in the stage to the surface. The men who shackled the cable are greeted in a kind of dance by their colleagues as th

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

A shaftsinker surfaces at the end of his shift, President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, June 1969

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

Sheltering behind his shovel from a stinging gale of grit as the shaft bottom is "blown over" by a man with a compressed-air hose. Before drilling holes for explosives can commence, the bottom must be cleared of grit and pebbles that might conceal sockets containing unexploded charges from the previous round of blasting. Copper is used for the nozzle of the hose so as to avoid sparks that might detonate the explosion of a "misfire."

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

Shaft-sinking: Drilling begins in the 10-meter-diameter shaft, 36 jackhammers will drill 238 holes that will be charged with explosives. President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, Orange Free State

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

Shaftsinking: Air and water hoses have been lowered to the bottom and are being connected to drill the blast holes. President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, Orange Free State

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

Banksman and shaftsinker, President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

Funeral of 58 Basotho shaft-sinkers, killed underground while charging up during the sinking of a new shaft, Buffelsfontein, November 1969

Artist: David Goldblatt (South African, 1930–2018)
Printer: Tony Meintjes (South African, born 1956)

770 results

Your applied filters:

Climbing into kibbles at the shaft-head, the shift gets ready to go down, President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, Orange Free State

In a kibble going down with master sinker Butch Britz (right). Pipes and cables in the shaft sides streaking past. Daylight disappearing above. In a moment, big doors will cover the top of the shaft to prevent anything falling from the surface onto the me

The sidewall: Treacherous shale at this stage. As the shaft deepens, so the stage will be lowered and its crew will line the side wall with concrete, so covering the shale with its tendency to fracture

Hailed by the team, the cactus grab dumps a load of rock into a kibble. The driver of the grab swings the machine around the confined space of the shaft in seemingly manic abandon as he seeks mouthfuls of rock. The men, lithe and nimble, dodge the grab wh

From the shaft bottom, looking up at the stage and kibble about to pass through it

Shaftsinking: The team clusters at the centre of the shaft bottom to avoid rock dislodged from the sidewall while the stage is lowered to a new position. President Stein No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, Orange Free State

Shaftsinking: The cactus grab has dumped the last load of big rocks into the kibble. Now the men clear the smaller rocks from the bottom, loading the kibble with shovels. President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, Orange Free State

A kibble loaded with rock has just been shackled to the hoist cable. Above is the stage. The loaded kibble will be hauled through the hole in the stage to the surface. The men who shackled the cable are greeted in a kind of dance by their colleagues as th

A shaftsinker surfaces at the end of his shift, President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, June 1969

Shaft-sinking: Drilling begins in the 10-meter-diameter shaft, 36 jackhammers will drill 238 holes that will be charged with explosives. President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, Orange Free State

Shaftsinking: Air and water hoses have been lowered to the bottom and are being connected to drill the blast holes. President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, Orange Free State

Banksman and shaftsinker, President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom

Funeral of 58 Basotho shaft-sinkers, killed underground while charging up during the sinking of a new shaft, Buffelsfontein, November 1969

Masotho shaft-sinking machine man, President Steyn No. 4, Welkom

Masotho shaftsinking machine man, President Steyn No. 4, Welkom

Steel balls used in tube mills to crush gold-bearing ore, New Kleinfontein, Benoni.

On the bank, President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom, June 1969

Basuto shaftsinkers seeking work, President Steyn No. 4, Welkom

Sinker's helper, President Steyn No. 4, Welkom

Brothers: Sinker's Helper and Sinker, President Steyn No.4, Welkom

Butch Britz, master shaft-sinker, No. 4 Shaft, President Steyn Gold Mine, Welkom

In the hostel, Western Deep Levels, Carltonville

Mineworkers in their hostel, Western Deep Levels, Carltonville

Related Content

Curatorial Areas

Recent Acquisitions

Provenance Research

Using the Collection