Travelog: Tonopah's Silver mine! A Photographic Documentation of a Past Age of Enterprise!

To virtually "every living Nevadan more than forty years of age, observes the WPA Nevada guide book, "Tonopah stands for modern Nevada, for youth, excitement, hope and the great adventure of a lifetime." A major gold rush began there in 1902, following the accidental discovery of a rich vein of silver. By 1913, production had reached its zenith at $9.5 million, and, by 1921, it had fallen to half that figure. Gradually, one mine after another was turned over to lessors. By 1930 the population of the town had fallen to 2000, but Tonopah survived as a gasoline, machinery and food distribution center. As late as 1940, notes the WPA guide, "residents are strong in the belief that explorations will soon find new wealth."
It was apparently with that hope in view that Western Pacific Railroad locomotive engineer, Joseph J. Haskin and his wife, Veda, of Oakland, Calif., acquired shares in the Electric Gold Mining Co. of Tonopah. When the president of that entity, F.E. Horton, created a new holding company, Weepah-Horton Gold Mining Co., many small investors like the Haskins were unable to pay the two cents per share exchange fee Horton required to convert their holdings from Electric Gold toWeepah-Horton stock.
Source



"The Tonopah Historic Mining Park is a Silver mine. Tonopah was a Silver camp. Gold occured down the road in Goldfield. Only a small percentage of the ore in Tonopah was gold. It was a rich silver deposit and the $$$$ from Tonopah helped rebuild San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake." Jim Galli

Jim Galli was instrumental in getting the State of Nevada Legislature to understand the great value of the remnants of the mine as a richly endowed museum of artifacts national historic importance to the development of the West. It was Jim's photographs that ended up catching the attention of Nevadans and causing an outpouring of support for, (albeit modest), funding for the abandoned mine to be made to a Museum.

Asher

Here we can post pictures of the Tonopah Goldmine Museum! I'll be posting pictures that document the shoot, but with my modest digital files. The film will hopefully follow!

Asher has asked me to re-open a page in my history that has been long closed! The images I will post below were done in the 1995 - 1998 time frame in 35mm and 120 format Velvia. They are not open to critique. I no longer have any interest beyond historical in these.


In the mid to late 90's we were Velvia freaks. I had discovered that my Nikon FM could calculate bizarrely long exposures way past what the Nikon manual said. Tom Morse of Global Preservation Projects was doing workshops with me in Tonopah, and we weren't the least bit concerned with reality. We were going for the throat with colors dripping off our chromes. Now that your $40 cots digi cam does the same thing without even trying, I've completely lost interest........but once upon a time, these were hot s**t.


Meanwhile, the town of Tonopah had been deeded the old Tonopah Mining Co. properties. About 103 acres of old mining buildings and equipment. They dreamed of opening a park for tourism. I was on the original board of decision makers / heavy lifters.


To make this story short, these images were printed on Fuji Type R in 20x30 sizes, and started making the rounds to State Tourism Roundup's etc. Eventually they ended up in the State House in Carson City, and the State Library. We also made post cards from some of them. The State Legislature got very interested in our preservation / tourism project, and almost any grant we wrote, got approved.


Pretty Pictures = Funding

Everybody loves the picture of the Pink Moon that has crashed into the mountain. Here's how it came to exist. I had put several frames of "moons" on some Velvia the night before I made the photo. In those days you did all these multi-exposures "in-camera". So the next night I set up for the zig zag road and mine buildings to be lit by the full moon behind me. I used the 300mm f4AF Nikkor and shot the image on Velvia with the moon already in place and opened the shutter for 30 minutes at f5.6. The white zig zag is headlights of cars out on the highway. I forgot exactly where the moon was, thus it has crashed into the hills, a sight rarely seen, even in Tonopah! We used to use color correction for long nightime exposures on Vevia, o/wise, it goes green. So the 812 filter turned the moon pink. Ce La Vie. It's such a calamity of errors, it somehow works. People beg me to print this one.

Those are star movement streaks in that first image. 90 minutes Velvia @ f8 with color correction magenta filters to keep the green layer at bay.

Here are 4 more;

Another note. The interior lighting inside the buildings on the 90 minute nighttime Velvia shots was done with a hand held 500,000 candle power searchlight. You "paint" the interior with the light, never stopping lest you end up with a hot spot.

4 more, and that's all for now!

Jim Galli said:

Asher has asked me to re-open a page in my history that has been long closed! The images I will post below were done in the 1995 - 1998 time frame in 35mm and 120 format Velvia. They are not open to critique. I no longer have any interest beyond historical in these.

To make this story short, these images were printed on Fuji Type R in 20x30 sizes, and started making the rounds to State Tourism Roundup's etc. Eventually they ended up in the State House in Carson City, and the State Library. We also made post cards from some of them. The State Legislature got very interested in our preservation / tourism project, and almost any grant we wrote, got approved.

Pretty Pictures = Funding

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Just to choose two of my favorites. not for critique but just appreciation! What a good job. Generations to come will appreciate this achievement of preserving a portion of our history. I'm telling you jim, this sure is a good case for making heaven on earth!

Asher

I'll make a selection as well, It maybe says more about one's taste than of the initial photographer's



The first one particularly, rings a bell... The colour, the shapes...

I'm not sure if I miss the so distinctive look of velvia but as it was what I grew up both shooting and admiring Velvia 120, it certainly is nostalgic!

What is interesting is how different you current work is Jim!

Ben Rubinstein said:

I'm not sure if I miss the so distinctive look of velvia but as it was what I grew up both shooting and admiring Velvia 120, it certainly is nostalgic!

What is interesting is how different you current work is Jim!

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Like the piece says, when a $40 consumer-off-the-shelf digi camera can mindlessly make these images all day long.........I totally lost interest.

Jim Galli said:

Like the piece says, when a $40 consumer-off-the-shelf digi camera can mindlessly make these images all day long.........I totally lost interest.

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Hi Jim,

I, totally admire your photographic work that is presented here.

However, I am slightly confused, as to why a talented person like yourself ( thinking for the right word/phrase/sentence amongst many ! ) should come across ( to me at least ) as one who somehow would wish that $40 cot cams did not happen. Or that such cot tools wielded by toddlers would somehow compete with a talent like yourself.

With kindest regards.

fahim mohammed said:

Hi Jim,

I, totally admire your photographic work that is presented here.

However, I am slightly confused, as to why a talented person like yourself ( thinking for the right word/phrase/sentence amongst many ! ) should come across ( to me at least ) as one who somehow would wish that $40 cot cams did not happen. Or that such cot tools wielded by toddlers would somehow compete with a talent like yourself.

With kindest regards.

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People change, interests change, technology changes. When we were making those images it was cutting edge stuff. People would gasp at all that dripping color. Nobody gasps these days. Now you just point and shoot. If that didn't make it happen, you spend more $$$ on a bigger prettier box, and you point and shoot. Repeat.........especially on the more $$$$$ until you've got what you wanted.

Jim Galli said:

.......

When we were making those images it was cutting edge stuff. People would gasp at all that dripping color. Nobody gasps these days.

.......

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That is the saddest statement I have ever read in a long long time. Sadder still coming from you. A person who has been and can go where others would fear to tread.

With my best wishes and kindest regards.

Combining the best of digital and film n a logical workflow!

fahim mohammed said:

That is the saddest statement I have ever read in a long long time. Sadder still coming from you. A person who has been and can go where others would fear to tread.

With my best wishes and kindest regards.

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Fahim,

But there's another side to this. Printing from digital is king up until 8.5"x11" and maybe a little more with today's sub-medum format sensors. However, one can make a much more detailed print from a 4"x5" or better 8"x10" piece of film. It simply holds more detail and when scanned can potentially compete with the amazing $47,000 top Phase One IQ180 80 MP camera. That's my bet. LF film cameras can be purchased for just $200 or so. A good start is a speed Graphic from http://www.KEH.com.

Here's my scheme that I've also used for shooting 16"x20" Polaroids in the good times. I snap the pictures with a digicam until the pose, gestures and lighting are perfect. Then I took the picture. I did the same in Tonopah and hopefully my pictures will be worthwhile too. My goal is to be able to have large prints without need for stitching. The latter has required constant upgrading of my computer. Now I look to film for saving time. My idea is to use digital to sketch out what I want and make all the mistakes. Then the plan is to be the most meticulous with the 8x10, one image at a time. If I can perfect this, then have detail rich color images that can be printed any size and approached within 10-20 inches as in a gallery looking at a painting.

I'm looking forward to seeing my negatives!

Asher

fahim mohammed said:

That is the saddest statement I have ever read in a long long time. Sadder still coming from you. A person who has been and can go where others would fear to tread.

With my best wishes and kindest regards.

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Why that should be sad is completely lost on me. Have you waded through some of my web pages? I haven't been sitting in a corner moping. When I was doing those pics, only a handful of folks could do anything like them. I'm doing stuff now that only a handful of folks care about or can do at all. I'm still having fun.

I just took delivery of 65,550 inches squared of Kodak film. 9.5 inch X 575 feet. It's in my freezer. I plan to be the last man standing doing the type of photography I love. Check back in 30 years and see how I'm doing.

That of course is an empty boast as I may not live 10 more minutes. Either way, it'll be an interesting yard sale when I'm gone.

Good for you then Jim.

I shall check back in say 15 years. Just to see how its going.

Regards.

Jim Galli said:

Why that should be sad is completely lost on me. Have you waded through some of my web pages? I haven't been sitting in a corner moping. When I was doing those pics, only a handful of folks could do anything like them. I'm doing stuff now that only a handful of folks care about or can do at all. I'm still having fun.

I just took delivery of 65,550 inches squared of Kodak film. 9.5 inch X 575 feet. It's in my freezer. I plan to be the last man standing doing the type of photography I love. Check back in 30 years and see how I'm doing.

That of course is an empty boast as I may not live 10 more minutes. Either way, it'll be an interesting yard sale when I'm gone.

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Do you have to have to adapt the film holders for the odd film width?

I assure you, Jim, that heaven will not allow any interruption while you and your stalwarts still photograph with film on these special lenses. Trust me, one does get points for doing good work!

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

Do you have to have to adapt the film holders for the odd film width? Asher

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Eastman built the 7X11 cameras and holders in the 1910's and 20's. A few other mfr's got on board, but not many. It was always unusual. The camera is bigger than a "normal" 8X10. It has both 8X10 and 7X11 backs. They are hard to find and the holders even harder, although Chamonix has made a few new ones plus holders.

Asher Kelman said:

I assure you, Jim, that heaven will not allow any interruption while you and your stalwarts still photograph with film on these special lenses. Trust me, one does get points for doing good work! Asher

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I am a bankrupt, but all fees and costs have been paid in advance for me.

Jim Galli said:

Eastman built the 7X11 cameras and holders in the 1910's and 20's. A few other mfr's got on board, but not many. It was always unusual. The camera is bigger than a "normal" 8X10. It has both 8X10 and 7X11 backs. They are hard to find and the holders even harder, although Chamonix has made a few new ones plus holders.



I am a bankrupt, but all fees and costs have been paid in advance for me.

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I'm lucky since I have a father who's always generous!

Asher

Wish I could say the same Asher!

Although it's off on a tangent Jim's point is of course affecting the entire industry, in the film days you needed to be better than the punters and that meant the ability to expose and compose to realise your vision. Most couldn't and it wasn't easy.

Now the world has changed. We have the depth and breadth of the entire worlds artistic proceeds at our fingertips when in the past it was limited to what we saw in magazines and books at the library. We could find originality in the past where now any new 'thing' is broadcast worldwide within a week and is cliche within a month given that the competition is now the worldwide photographic and artistic community. Finding a niche and exploiting it is now incredibly difficult.

Add to that Jim's point. With digital it's too easy to learn, too easy to copy, too easy to do the complicated. Far too cheap as well. Add that to the point above and nowadays being better than the punters involves IMO a lot more work, a lot greater vision and usually a lot less money.

Jim, you go mate, you're an inspiration to me, finding your niche and exploiting it and maintaining originality and vision in these difficult times.

With digital it's too easy to learn, too easy to copy, too easy to do the complicated. Far too cheap as well. Add that to the point above and nowadays being better than the punters involves IMO a lot more work, a lot greater vision and usually a lot less money.

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From my particular point of view (post processing) I couldn't agree more. The ones that were brilliant before are even more stunning nowadays. You'll find the best ones at the end of the line, whenever the basics are available to anybody. Taste and talent doesn't come with books and tutorials, but the fact is that these great craftsmen "cost" less than before (so it's even harder for the others )

PS: You've all understood well, that it doesn't necessarily apply to me

I love these. I personally find it very inspirational, a word I very seldom use.

This is where my heads at now.

Ben, your encouragement means volumes to me. Thank you.

Jim Galli said:

This is where my heads at now.

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Jim,

This is such a simple picture. There's an immediate tension caused by the sharpness of the iron grating on the left but no added interest to go with it. That absence is, in fact, part of the composition. The main focus is on a container with welding tips abandoned 50 years ago, perhaps! The arrangement is like a "bouquet" of lowers, and hence the name. The LF camera with the soft focus lens is able to reach into the dark forgotten workshop and illuminate for us, finely focused, just a small pleasing portion and catch us like fish. We're on your hook. You reel us in, back though time, to a real live welder, maybe, taking a break in a busy day, to return momentarily.




This sense of reality cannot be delivered so easily by lenses where everything is treated like "equal opportunity PC admissions" to a university where the only thing that matters is that no one is killed that day. Here in your picture, only a small fraction of the entire workshop is shown and of that, just a sliver of the scene is brought into focus meticulously! The choice of what on earth to choose in all the disastrous mess is important becomes astonishingly difficult. (I know, I was bewildered by the disorder. I had to take pictures with digital to survey the place and return, much later, when I was more at ease.)

However, you, being empathetic with the history of the place and the workmen who spent their time repairing machines for mining silver, were in a better place to make judgements. You recognized one small area that represented everything that might have been important. Seeing beyond the disorder and finding treasures is what people do, who have faith that there is, indeed, good on earth worth struggling for!

Thanks for sharing your labors of love,

I'd love to see any more pictures of this setup.

Asher

Jim Galli said:

welder's bouquet​

This is where my heads at now.

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This is very nice and the lens blur goes well with the subject, supporting the association with a bouquet (I am not a great fan of these lenses for this kind of subject, contrary to many here...). I do not know if this is a crop in post or if this represent the full scan of the film, but if you have a little more on the film, you may want to consider extending the picture to the right so that the tip of the graver tool is not cut off.

Here are a few from our first day at the mining park.


I was using the 5X7 Speedy that day.

Keep posting folks. Love looking at these.

btw, the wooden rack beyond the chair is for holding rolls and rolls of blueprints.

Jim Galli said:

also posted at LFForum​

Here are a few from our first day at the mining park.

office machines

window reflections

found items, warehouse bins

and my favorite,

mining office desk & chair​

I was using the 5X7 Speedy that day.

Keep posting folks. Love looking at these.

btw, the wooden rack beyond the chair is for holding rolls and rolls of blueprints.

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Excellent work, Jim!

I have my grabshot of you sitting in that very chair here.

Asher

I love looking at these. The desk and chair are my favorite but I also like the wash basin, carbide container for a minors lamp and beer. Are there more?

Bump for me to look for more pictures from this trip!

Oh man, nice ones, keep 'em coming!!

Thanks Klaus for the visit. Will dig up more when I return from Europe. Now in Bordeaux.

Asher