Photos of the French and the Polish hard coal mining industry !

Mining photos from France and Poland - Page 1 !

On this page and the following ones you can find photos I received from a sender from France who is really interested in mining and collieries. On the first two pages there are photos of the French and the Polish hard coal mining industry, here especially from the Piekary Slaskie colliery. The pages number three and four contain really nice mining related postcards, lots of which are from the beginning of the 20th century - in my eyes, they document the mining industry of these times very well. The final page number five shows you how the Wendel Mining Museum in France has been built after the end of the colliery's coal production.

Finally I want to say thank you very much for the beautiful photos from earlier times and from today to their sender Jean-Michel Torcol.

If one of the persons visible in a certain photo does not want it to be published, please send me an e-mail and I will remove the corresponding picture as fast as possible.

Please click on the photos' small versions in order to enlarge them and to get the corresponding background information. ATTENTION: The pictures' explanations can now be found UNDER the large versions.


In the atrium of Gardanne colliery.	After the shift at Gardanne colliery in France.	The operating company's panel at the colliery.	A winding tower in the South of France.


Historical miner's lamps, photo 1.	Historical miner's lamps, photo 2.	Historical miner's lamps, photo 3.	Historical miner's lamps, photo 4.


Transportation of coal in earlier times.	The proud driver of the lorry for the coal.	The winding machine of La Mure colliery.	Entrance to a tunnel of La Mure colliery.


The entire La Mure colliery in France.	Light show at a French colliery, photo 1.	Light show at a French colliery, photo 2.	Light show at a French colliery, photo 3.


Light show at a French colliery, photo 4.	Light show at a French colliery, photo 5.	Light show at a French colliery, photo 6.	Light show at a French colliery, photo 7.


Warndt-Luisenthal colliery at night, photo 1.	Warndt-Luisenthal colliery at night, photo 2.	Warndt-Luisenthal colliery at night, photo 3.	Warndt-Luisenthal colliery at night, photo 4.


At Merlebach colliery - the dressing rooms.	A winding staircase.	A trip to Paris of the underground fire brigade.	The group of miners in Paris.


A nice formation of the fire brigade.	On the way to the Triumphal Arch in Paris.	A miner with two flags in Paris.	The miners with the entire equipment.


The hats of Polish miners' uniforms.	Sta. Barbara at a Polish colliery.	Polish miners on their way to the pit bank.	A miner of a Polish colliery.


The pit bank of a Polish colliery's shaft.	Underground in the Polish mining industry.	A long and light roadway.	An oval roadway underground.


The sign of the underground fire brigade.	A breathing apparatus from very close.	Lots of breathing apparati are required.	The practice of the underground fire brigade.


Creeping through a very low tunnel.	In the underground fire brigade's pipe.	The entrance to the pipe.	The dressing rooms of the colliery.


What miners store in their dressing rooms...	The entire dressing room of the colliery.	The ropes are used for hanging up the clothes.	A man with a miner's lamp.


Jean-Michel Torcol, the owner of the photos.	The atrium of the Polish colliery.	The colliery's gate.	Mine cars on the colliery's area.


Corridors for the colliery's conveyors.	The Polish colliery's railway area.	The entire colliery in Poland.	One of the colliery's telephones.


An interesting way of transportation.	An old vehicle of the colliery.	Three shaft towers in the evening sun.	A remarkable blue winding tower.