Images
Images documenting the Anthracite Coal Mining Region of Northeastern Pennsylvania
There are numerous sources of images relating to the Anthracite region available on the Internet. Below is a select list of libraries, archives, museums, and other sites that have particularly rich collections.
- Anthracite Coal Region of Northeastern Pennsylvania (Facebook group)Contains daily posts with vignettes and images from around the region.
- Digital Public Library of AmericaAn all-digital library that aggregates metadata — or information describing an item — and thumbnails for millions of photographs, manuscripts, books, sounds, moving images, and more from libraries, archives, and museums around the United States.
- George Bretz CollectionPhotographer George M. Bretz (1842-1895) lived and worked in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Bretz achieved distinction if not fame for his photographs related to coal mining and the people who depended upon coal for their livelihood.
- Google Image SearchAn excellent source for locating images, both modern and historic from a vast array of websites.
- Lewis Hine Collection (University of Maryland, Baltimore County)The extensive photographic survey of child labor made by Lewis Hine (1874-1940) during the early twentieth century provided reform groups and the public with visual evidence of the negative impact that work had on children. Hine's photographs helped mobilize society against child labor, while providing an extensive record of working children. Contains numerous images of children working in coal mines ("breaker boys").
- Library of Congress, Photos, Prints and DrawingsThe Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs Division contains over 15 million items, including photographs, prints, drawings and architectural and engineering designs; more than 1 million of the items are available in digital form.
- Miner's Son, Miners' Photographer: The Life and Work of George Harvan (Journal for Multimedia History)George Harvan spent over 50 years recording the work and community life of the last generation of underground miners in the anthracite region of northeastern Pennsylvania.
- National Archives and Records AdministrationThe National Archives Catalog is the online public portal to our records and information about our records. The catalog currently provides access to over 2 million electronic records currently in the Electronic Records Archives (ERA), which are not available elsewhere online.
- Wikimedia CommonsContains images, often from museums and libraries. Consult the licensing information to learn about the use permissions of images.
Postcards
Postcards documenting the Anthracite Coal Mining Region of Northeastern Pennsylvania
Deltiology is the study and collection of postcards. Historic postcards are an excellent way to research historic places and buildings, especially ones that do not exist anymore. A number of libraries, archives, and museums have digitized their postcards and made them available online. Below is just a selection.
Postcards are often quite difficult to date. The links below provide useful information about how to date, identify, and interpret historic postcards.
- Dating Postcards (Smithsonian Institution)
- Chicago Postcard Museum
(Above: Entrance to the mine at Coaldale, Pennsylvania, circa 1915-1930, National Trust Library Historic Postcard Collection, University of Maryland Libraries)
- Ancestry.com U.S. Historical PostcardsOver 115,000 historic postcards of sites in the United States. Searching and thumbnail images are free. Must have an account to view full-size images.
- Digital Public Library of AmericaThe Digital Public Library of America brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. Contains close to 2000 links to historic Pennsylvania postcards.
- National Trust Library Historic Postcard Collection (@ University of Maryland)Almost 900 historic postcards of sites in Pennsylvania.