DDS-12 provides literal snapshot views of Colorado and Utah mining operations, generally before 1980. It supports environmental and historical research by providing access to the mostly unpublished photographs in the U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library (USGS) collection in Denver. This material is provided to answer requests from government and historical researchers for visual documentation applicable to their current research.
The photographs were originally taken to support USGS reports on mineral resources in various mining districts or locales. The images provide a thorough search of the Photographic Library card catalog for Colorado and Utah mining operations. The database includes only views cataloged prior to 1990. For newer material or assistance, you are encouraged to visit the Photographic Library.
Captions reflect USGS research needs. USGS published captions are given preference and referenced to the publication. Otherwise captions are those provided by the geologist at the time of transfer to the library.
Circa dates may be inaccurate by as many as 5 years. Stratigraphic nomenclature is that used at the time the photograph was deposited.
DDS-12 is part of the ongoing work of the Survey to provide earth science information for the "common defense and general welfare," as stated in the Organic Act of 1879.
The Photographic Library has its origins in J.K. Hillers' Geological Survey Photographic Laboratory of the 1880's. Between 1900 and 1946, a major portion of the collection resided in the Topographic Division as part of the Map Reproduction Section. In 1946, the collection was transferred to the Survey's Library in Washington, D.C., and was moved to Denver in 1954.
The first attempt at cataloging the collection was made around 1900 by a committee of geologists chaired by N.H. Darton. This committee established the use of State-County (Country-Province) as the main finding system. This system and the geologist-photographer filing system have been maintained. In the mid-1950's, a librarian began systematically cataloging photographs using an accepted glossary of geologic terms and Library of Congress Headings.
We gratefully acknowledge Nelson H. Darton, who first began to catalog the Geological Survey's Photographic Laboratory's collection about 1900. Many of the subjects currently in use are directly related to his committee's work.
We acknowledge Marjorie E. Dalechek, a former Photographic Librarian, who dedicated 25 years to establishing cataloging, preservation, and customer procedures and without whom this collection probably would not exist.
We gratefully acknowledge the Geological Survey scientists who diligently provided both photographs and captions when they deposited their material with the Library or Photographic Laboratory during the past 100 years.
We thank Nancy Papazian and Frances Steele, Volunteers for Science, for their many hours of word-processing the photo captions from the various albums into our system.
We thank all the senior Geological Survey managers, scientists and others who directly and indirectly supported this project.
Some photographs included in this collection were published in the following U.S. Geological Survey publications. This list is provided to assist users in finding additional Geological Survey information on mining in Colorado and Utah.
http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b596
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp38
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1353A
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1229
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp219
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1101
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b852
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp164
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1257
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp228
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b510
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp107
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp54
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b628
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp1024
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp455G
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp75
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b371
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/cir839
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1261F
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1420
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1005
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b1319C
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp626
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b884
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b691B
https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b729
This publication was prepared by an agency of the United State Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed, or implied or assumes legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United State Government or any agency thereof. Any view and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.
Although all data included in this publication have been used by the USGS, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS as to the accuracy of the data and related materials and or the functioning of the software. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS in the use of the data, software or related materials.
COPYRIGHT RELEASEAll photographs on this collection are in the public domain; therefore, no copyright release or permission is needed for the reproduction or transfer of these images to another medium.
PHOTOGRAPH CREDIT LINESPhotograph credit for photocopy or photographic reprints should be to both the individual or subject collection named in the identification portion of the caption and to the USGS. Electronically transferred images may be credited simply to this U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series (DDS-12).