Database of Databases in Mining History

Databases and open access sources have become crucial for researchers, especially these days in which the pandemic crisis does not allow to travel on the field or to archives. This is why WG LiM launches a call for contribution to create a “database of databases” related to Mining History. The aim is to gather in one place a large number of references of existing databases and sources available open access.

See the Call for Contribution here

By Countries (update #41 09.12.22)

Ancient sites are listed under the location related to State borders in present time

WORLD

Africa : Copperbelt (various countries), Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland

Europe : Albania, Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, UK

Americas : Bolivia, Canada, USA, Peru

AustralAsia : Australia, India, Georgia, Japan, Mongolia

 

WORLD

1. ILOSTAT Data: safety and health at work:  possible to browse by economic activity and by country, 1970-2015
2. The Mining Journal (1835-2012) : published in the United Kingdom, with world-wide coverage. 
3. OMNIA query on “Mining”: various items from digital collections or repositories like Europeana
4. Project Ricardo : database on international trade historical data (1829-1939) by ScPo
5. Social History Collections: The Social History Portal is a common gateway to a number of collections of archives, libraries and documentation centres. It gives 4,457 results for the “Mining” query
6. Underground4Value: database of underground heritage sites in Europe which includes mining heritage

AFRICA

Copperbelt (various countries)

1. Sources for the History of the Copperbelt: This guide provides an annotated list of archival sources for the colonial and post-colonial history of the Central African Copperbelt.  created by Duncan Money, researcher at Leiden University 

Namibia

1. Digital Namibia Archive: photos of the copper mine and housing at Tsumeb in Namibia in the 1900s and 1920s from the Digital Namibia Archive (other photos)

Nigeria

1. Annual and Quarterly Reports on Benue, Plateau, Muri, and Bauchi Provinces, including Reports on Districts and Divisions [1908-1954]: Reports and Correspondences cover Mining, Reorganization, Mining Accident Inquests, Anthropological Notes and Railway (British Library Digitised Collections). (ex. Nassarawa Province Mining Districts Report [1927])

South Africa

1. UCT’s Digital Collections : series of personal portraits of people working at mines across South Africa taken by photographer Graeme Williams in 2003.
   
   
2. Kimberly Mines (1909-1911): photos from Italian Geographic Society collection

Swaziland

1. DRISA archive: Picture of various mining sites (ex. asbestos mines in Swaziland 1953)

EUROPE

Albania

1.  Nrel Copper mine and other albanian mines (1938-42): photos from Italian Geographic Society collection. 
2. Selenitza mine (1905): photo from Italian Geographic Society collection

Belgium

1. BALat (Belgian Art Links and Tools) : Varius collections of historical photos of Belgium coalfields (ex. charbonnage[construction] )

France

1. Annales des Mines (1915-1942) on Gallica.fr: Database about the french journal Annales des Mines. Free downloadable. OCR text recognition.
2. Digitalized collections of the Ecole des Mines de Paris all the collections of the Ecole des mines (like Annales des Mines- Mémoires, 1794-1901.) conteining : journals, plans, cartography, personal letters and notes from students, catalogues of mineralogical/geological collections, ancient manuscripts….
3. DFIH – Data For Financial History: Database about Paris Stock Market Exchange. Digitalized sources (Didot Bottin Yearbooks) and quantitative data about Companies listed in Paris Stock Market exchange (1795-1956) including many mining companies from all ver the world.
4. Database of miners’ personal files : personnel files of various french mining companies for workers born before 1900. Conserved and digitazed by  ANMT (Archives Nationales du Monde du Travail)
5. Histoire des Ingénieurs des Mines (History of Mining Engineers): Documents, biographies, articles and ancient books about french mining history and engineers from Ecole des Mines de Paris (in french).
6. Base HiSCoD (Historical Social Conflict Database): database containing geo-referenced informations about riots, strikes, popular mouvements from Medieval Age to 19th Century by Cédric Chambru et Paul Maneuvrier-Hervieu
7. RIM (1921-1934) on Gallica.fr : Database about the french journal Revue de l’Industrie Minérale. Free downloadable. OCR text recognition.
8. ThesoMines: Thesaurus (in French) to index the documentary resources (texts, images, videos) available on the territory of the former Nord-Pas-de-Calais mining basin. It’s open source. More info
9.  Fiche UNESCO du Bassin Minier du Nord et Pas de Calais: Interactive Maps et informations about mining sites in the UNESCO World Heritage list

Ireland

1. The Journal of the Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland
2. Geological Survey of Ireland GOLDMINE : Large database includes Mine Maps, Mine Records and Mineral Localities.

Greece

1. Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) historical archives: List of documentaries on/or related to Lavrio Mines (https://archive.ert.gr/26676/; https://archive.ert.gr/52792/; https://archive.ert.gr/33482/; https://archive.ert.gr/33497/; https://archive.ert.gr/33590/
   https://archive.ert.gr/64460/)

2. Ηellenic Parliament digital library: digitalized collections of Greek newspapers. Of mining history interest, includes two newspapers published in Lavrio)

3. Mining Greece

Italy

1. L’industria mineraria bollettino mensile della Federazione nazionale fascista dell’industria mineraria (1927-1936): Journal Digitalized on the website of Biblioteca Nazionale centrale di Roma (in italian)
2. L’industria mineraria d’Italia e d’oltremare rassegna mensile della Federazione nazionale fascista degli esercenti le industrie estrattive (1937-1943): Journal Digitalized on the website of Biblioteca Nazionale centrale di Roma (in italian)
3. Materie prime d’Italia e dell’Impero rassegna mineraria mensile (1940-42): Journal Digitalized on the website of Biblioteca Nazionale centrale di Roma (in italian)
4. Le Miniere Italiane 1876-2019 : A website containing informations (history, legislation, list of sources and some bibliography) about mining sites in Italy, by region. (in italian)
5. Periodico di Mineralogia (1933-1943): Journal Digitalized on the website of Biblioteca Nazionale centrale di Roma (in italian)
6. Rassegna mineraria e metallurgica italiana organo ufficiale dell’Associazione di cultura fra i tecnici metallurgici e minerari italiani (1928-1931): Journal Digitalized on the website of Biblioteca Nazionale centrale di Roma (in italian)
7. Rassegna mineraria metallurgica e chimica (1908-1927) : Journal Digitalized on the website of Biblioteca Nazionale centrale di Roma (in italian)
8. “Il lavoro e la memoria” project: interviews of Sardinian mine workers of Sulcis Iglesiente, on the “Ti racconto la storia” portal.

 Spain

1. EMME: Database about the spanish journal Estadísticas Mineras y Metalúrgicas de España.
2. Mano de obra en la minería 1866-1939 (Workforce in Spanish Mining Industry 1866-1939). By the Grupo de investigación Historia social de la minería en España, Universidad de Alicante, Murcia y Almería. Annual information by province, minerals, gender and age of the workforce employed in the mines in Spain. data extracted from EMME. It can be freely downloaded as a spreadsheet and in the geodatabase (with geographical information on the provinces).
3. Various digitalized documents by Archivo Historico Minero (commercial letters of “Carbones Viloria” 1930-40)

Maps

1. Mapa de Conflictos Ambientales Mineros en Andalucía y Portugal: Interactive map about environmental conflicts in Andalusia (Spain) and Portugal.
2. Plano General de Sierra Almagrera
3. Mapa de la minas de la sierra de Cartagena-La Unión de Carlos Lanzarote, 1907
4. Plano topográfico y geológico de la Sierra de Cartagena, Federico de Botella, 1863-67

Sweden

1. Kiruna mine (1913): photo taken by Georges Parmentier (Italian Georaphic Society collection)

UK

1. Bal Maidens and Mining Women : Database of women working in mining, mainly in the UK and Ireland.
2. British Geological Survey (parent body of Geological Survey of Northern Ireland): The Information Hub on the website provides access to viewers, old and recent geology maps, mine plans and copies of many old Publications, such as Economic Memoirs.
3. Canmore – National Record of the Historic Environment : Search Classification for “mine”. Provides location and some history. Scotland
4. Coalmining Accidents and Deaths : This is a database of over 164,000 records containing the details of coalmining accidents and deaths in the UK. Some names are shown as “Witheld” – this is for reasons of Data Protection and relates to all records of people injured since 1950. By The Coalmining History Resource Center (internet archive)
5. Cornish Engine Database : World-wide index of cornish-type steam engines.

6. Durham Mining Museum : Books, Information on mines, and disasters in the North of England.

7. Early Engine Database : Steam engines built in the UK up to the end of the year 1800.

8. Geological Survey of Northern Ireland GeoIndex : Map layers include Historic Mine Workings. Provides location and basic information.

9. GoIndustrial : Website of a group of industrial museums in Scotland which offers some open access views of their collections (including geological maps, objects and other materials related to mining history and heritage of Scotland.

10. Irish Historical Geological Maps : Provides images of Mine Abandonment Plans of Northern Ireland.

11. The Mining Journal (1835-2012) : published in the United Kingdom, with world-wide coverage. 

12. Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland : List of mines. Newsletters and Journals published up to 2019, excluding Newsletters 79 and 80 (2019)
13. North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers : The text (only) of their Transactions are available for 1852-1914.

14. Northern Mines Research Society : Most articles in the MEMOIRS in the “British Mining” series are free 1964-1999. The MONOGRAPHs in the series, about individual mines, are available to purchase. Mainly England and Wales. Their Mines Database is a very useful tool.

15. Peak District Mines Historical Society : The Resources drop-down on their website gives access to PDFs of articles in “Mining History”, and to other databases. Mainly England.

16. Scottish Mining Website : List of mines. Database of mining accidents.

UK maps and interactive maps

1. The Coal Authority Interactive Map : Shows location of Mine Entries, Surface mining etc. in Great Britain
2. Mines Location Map in Great Britain : series of downloadable maps with concessions and pits by region. By The Coalmining History Resource Center (internet archive)
3. Online Mapping [Mine Locations] in the British Isles, Northern Mine Research Society (NMRS). Interactive Google Earth maps of mine locations and concise mine data

AMERICAS

North America

1. American Journeys: Eyewitness Accounts of Early American Exploration and Settlement: American Journeys is a digital project from the Wisconsin Historical Society that provides digital access to 18,000 pages of firsthand accounts detailing the exploration and colonization of North America.
2.  Community Collection of Central Appalachia: Photographs of Miners at an Opening of the Peach Orchard Mines and typical Coal Camp
3. Bexar Archive Online: Varius documents about Spanish Colonies mining jurisdiction (18th c.) 

Bolivia

1. Maps of Potosi Mines – 17th-18th centuries (from Archivio General de Indias via SEDPGYM)

Canada

1. Geoscan: GEOSCAN is the bibliographic database for scientific publications of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). The database features over 85,000 records primarily of the Earth Sciences (Geological Survey of Canada publications, National Atlas maps, Topographic maps, Remote sensing publications), and is continually growing with records on Mining, Materials and Energy. It includes historical reports going back over 125 years. 
2. Canadiana online: a massive database of early Canadian publications of various kinds, including issues of The Canadian Mining Journal; The Mining Record ; Mining News ; The Canadian Mining Review; The British Columbia Mining Record  and others.

3. Photos of Asbestos Mines in Quebec 1950 (Caraci, Giuseppe, Società Geografica Italiana)

    

Peru

1. Maps of Huancavelica Mines – 17th-18th centuries (from Archivio General de Indias via SEDPGYM)

USA

1. THE COALPROD DATABASE: Historical Production Data for the Major coal producing regions of the contemporary United States (1790-1995) by R. C. Milici.
2. Corporate Reports Online: PDFs of various annual reports of American companies from 1800 to 1955. The entire collection is text-searchable, look at the section “Mining” ( project of the Lippincott Library at the University of Pennsylvania).
3. The Engineering and Mining Journal from 1872-1923: digitalized journal  and openacc via HathiTrust (which contains many other journals about mining and metallurgy)
4. The Gold and Silver Mines of the West , Statistical Atlas of the United States : Based on the Results of the Ninth Census 1870, The Gold and Silver Mines of the West by United States. Bureau of the Census (via FRASER)
5. Mining Artifacts’ Historic Photo Galleries : A database of historic photos by US State and by country, with a descriptive summary.
6. Industry Wage Survey: Metal Mining by United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1974-1979 (via FRASER)
7. Minerals yearbook. Geological Survey (U.S.)., United States. Bureau of Mines. Washington: Bureau of Mines .(1977-2004): digitalized journal  and openacc via HathiTrust 
8. Mines and Quarries  from National Income, 1929-1932, United States. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce (via FRASER)
9. Mining  from Survey of Current Business. Business Statistics (Biennial Supplement), 1931, United States. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis (via FRASER)
10. Oñate, Juan de, 1549?-1624 “Account of the Discovery of the Mines“, Bolton, Herbert Eugene (editor). Spanish Exploration in the Southwest, 1542-1706. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1916), p. 239-249: Mines located in Aquarius Montains, ancient New Mexico, nowadays Arizona.
11. Oregon Historical Mining Information : The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) has collected and maintained data since the agency’s founding in 1937 covering a periode from late 1800s to the present. The database contains Mineral Information Layer for Oregon-Release 3 (MILO-3 geospatial database that stores and manages information regarding Oregon’s mineral occurrences, prospects, and mines); Historical Mining Records; Historical Mining Claim; Location Records; Large-Scale Mine Maps; Historical Commodities Records; Oregon Historical Society Geology Related Records
12. Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers. (1873- 1918).  Philadelphia: The Institute.: digitalized journal  and openacc via HathiTrust 
13. USGS Publications Warehouse (1850-today): Geologic and mining reports of the USGS available for download. Publications series from the late-1800’s including Annual report of the United States Geological Survey; Bulletin of the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, Mineralogical reports..
14. Wage Chronology: Bituminous Coal Mine Operators and United Mine Workers, 1933-81 : Bulletin of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, No. 2062, (via FRASER) 
15. Wage Chronology: Bituminous Coal Mine Operators and United Mine Workers of America,  United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1965-1980 ( via FRASER)
16. Wage Chronology: Anthracite Mining Industry  by United States. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1966 ( via FRASER)

USA Interactive maps:

1. Interactive atlas of historical coal mine maps in Pennsylvania 
2. Interactive map of abandoned mines in North Dakota 
3. GIS map of Historical Coalfield in Colorado (Data Search of the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and safety)

AUSTRALASIA

Australia

1. Atlas of Australian Resources, 1988, via Australian Mining History Association
2. Bibliography of Australian Mining History via Australian Mining History Association
3.  eGold: the electronic encyclopedia of gold in Australia website: sources and brief overviews about any aspects of Australian mining history
4. Digitised Paintings and drawings mainly 19th c. from Victoria State Library (landscape, daily activities of diggers, sellers, and mining authorities)
5. Governor Hotham’s 1855 inquiry into the condition of the goldfields from Victoria state library (open access)
6. Victoria Government Gazette 1836-1997: online archive of historic government gazettes open access to official information published in and about Victoria, including news about mining areas (social life, concessions, official statements etc).
7. Photos Silver Mine of Broken Hill by Kerry, Charles Henry from the album “New South Wales, Australia. Views of its Industrial Life”, New South Wales, 1911 (Italian Geographic society collection)

    Maps

1. Digitised Historical Mining Maps from Victoria State Library 

Georgia

1. Chiatura and Quiboli mines (beginning 20th century): photos from italian geographic society collection

India

1. Mining of limestone deposits in Tsongu (Kingdom of Sikkim) 1912-1913: Letters from Charles Bell (PO Sikkim) and a draft lease agreement for mining limestone deposits in Tsongu (British Library Digitised Collections)

Japan

1. Photo of Takashima (Nagasaki) mine 1907-1908: Anonymus, Italian Geographic Society collection

Mongolia

1. Box 38 Images related to early coal mining activities [1930s-1940s]: Project EAP264:
   Preservation through digitisation of rare photographic negatives from Mongolia, (British Library Digitised Collections)

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