Collection

Mine policeman's sentry box and demolish lavatory, New Modder, Benoni, August 1966

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

A miner waits on the bank to go underground, City Deep Gold Mine

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

Shiftboss and lashing men in a stope, Consolidation Main Reef, Roodeport

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

Hoist driver's controls, No. 16 Shaft, Randfontein Estates, Randfontein

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

Concession store (shop catering especially to Black miners) interior, Crown Mines, May 1967

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

Call system used by officials at a mine office when they wanted the services of "the boy," Consolidated Main Reef Gold Mine, October 1967

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

Bathroom attached to the office of the General Manager with "dirty" bath and "clean" bath for his use after he had been underground. New Kleinfontein Gold Mine, Benoni, May 1967

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

Hanging on the banksman's door: the shaftsinker's template. It showed the position of each of the 238 holes that were drilled and charged with explosives in each round of blasting in the 10.2-meter-diameter shaft bottom. After every blast, after all rock and grit have been cleared, the position of any misfires is marked on the template and the unexploded charges carefully removed. Before drilling can commence for the next round, the Master Sinker, using the template, must satisfy himself that all misfires have been cleared. President Steyn No. 4 Shaft, Welkom

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

The stage, a six story, 80-ton structure hanging 50 feet above the shaft bottom. On it work the men who line the shaft with concrete and install the pipes and cables that will carry air, water, electricity, and signals to the underground workings of the m

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

As an empty kibble is lowered to the bottom, the team pushes it towards a position where it will stand upright on the uneven rock. Men have been crushed under kibbles that tilted over

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

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)

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)

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Mine policeman's sentry box and demolish lavatory, New Modder, Benoni, August 1966

A miner waits on the bank to go underground, City Deep Gold Mine

Shiftboss and lashing men in a stope, Consolidation Main Reef, Roodeport

Hoist driver's controls, No. 16 Shaft, Randfontein Estates, Randfontein

Concession store (shop catering especially to Black miners) interior, Crown Mines, May 1967

Call system used by officials at a mine office when they wanted the services of "the boy," Consolidated Main Reef Gold Mine, October 1967

Bathroom attached to the office of the General Manager with "dirty" bath and "clean" bath for his use after he had been underground. New Kleinfontein Gold Mine, Benoni, May 1967

The stage, a six story, 80-ton structure hanging 50 feet above the shaft bottom. On it work the men who line the shaft with concrete and install the pipes and cables that will carry air, water, electricity, and signals to the underground workings of the m

As an empty kibble is lowered to the bottom, the team pushes it towards a position where it will stand upright on the uneven rock. Men have been crushed under kibbles that tilted over

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

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

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

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

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