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Shasta Ca Mammoth Mine Picture Collection - World's Finest Collection!

 

Set of Twenty Very Rare Mine Post Cards

The finest photographic record (as Real Post Cards) of the mammoth Mine of Shasta County, California.  The Mammoth Mine was the major development in Shasta County, employing over 2,300 people at one time, along with the smelter at Kennett (now under the deepest part of Lake Shasta, north of the dam).

 

These pictures are extremely rare.  Even the Ca Division of Mines Report only has two pictures from the area and NONE of those are of the mine.

 

We purchased the collection intact and would like to keep this museum-grade collection together. However, we are willing to sell individual pictures at $50 each. Let us know which pictures you are interested in.

 

All these Real Post Cards are blank on back, unused, except for very minor notes in pencil on the back that note a price and say Mammoth Mine.  The only exception is item 16. This card actually has the scarce Mammoth Mine Postal Cancel on the reverse, dated Oct. 1, 1910. That card has no stamp or message, just the price inscription and header “Gold Mine” written in small pencil notes.

 

The cancel for the post office at Mammoth, Shasta County, California has a Helbock Rarity of 3.  The post office operated intermittingly between 1907 and 1925.

 

Please click on pictures to see an enlarged version. Note, the pictures you receive will not have the CoinMine watermark.

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Here are the card descriptions:

 

  1. Rail line and tender trestle; Mammoth Mine and cost written in pencil on the reverse.Very Good condition.
  2. Bag House (printed on bottom of card in white). Mammoth Mine and cost written in pencil on the reverse. Fine+ condition.
  3. Close up of rail and workings outside what looks like the concentrator building. This picture is underexposed and is smaller (but on same size card) as the others. Condition is Fine.
  4. Social hall (printed on bottom of card in white). Mammoth Mine and cost written in pencil on the reverse. Fine+ condition.
  5. Smelter at Kennett, 1910.  Picture of the triple rail line, Shasta River below and full Smelter (printed on bottom of card in white). Mammoth Mine and cost written in pencil on the reverse. Fine+ condition. Pictures of Kennett in general, and this Smelter along the river in particular, are extremely rare.
  6. Overview of Mine from the access road.  Smaller picture (but on same size card) as the others.  Mammoth Mine and cost written in pencil on the reverse. Fine condition. 
  7. Close up of worker exiting shop building.  This picture is underexposed and is smaller (but on same size card) as the others. Mammoth Mine and cost written in pencil on the reverse.  Condition is Fine.
  8. Distance photo of the hill and mining complex. Picture is underexposed and is smaller (but on same size card) as the others. Mammoth Mine and cost written in pencil on the reverse. Condition is Very Good.
  9. Gravity Tram and hillside in back. Great shot! Mammoth Mine and cost written in pencil on the reverse.  Condition is Very Fine.
  10. Mammoth Rail Road. The picture shows the mining camp and the train ascending the grade, toward the viewer. ‘Gold Mine’ and price small pencil inscription on back. Condition is Fine.
  11. Mining complex, hillside, and tailings pile. ‘Gold Mine’ and price small pencil inscription on back. Condition is Almost Fine, minor soiling in photo margin
  12. Cottage Row(printed on bottom of card in white). Picture of miners cabins. ‘Gold Mine’ and price small pencil inscription on back. Condition is Fine.
  13. Mine ShedWorks (printed on bottom of card in white). Impressive shot of the mine lumber operations and storage.  If they didn’t have so much gold and copper the place could have been a lumber mill!  ‘Gold Mine’, ‘Mono County’ (incorrect) and price small pencil inscription on back. Condition is Fine.
  14. Ore Train, Mammoth. Cal, No. 19. Only one of two RPCs with a number on it. Closeup shot of the ore train and a steam shovel. Minor pencil inscriptions.
  15. Mammoth Mine.  A much closer shot of the mining complex and tailings on the hillside. Great picture! Fine condition.Minor pencil inscriptions on reverse.
  16. Number 21, Copper Precipitate Tanks, Mammoth, Cal. Photo open settling tanks and miner with mine and terrain in background. Awesome picture. This is the only card with the number printed on the obverse.  This card actually has the scarce Mammoth Mine Postal Cancel on the reverse, dated Oct. 1, 1910. That card has no stamp or message, just the price inscription and header “Gold Mine” written in small pencil notes.  Fine condition.
  17. Smelter and Bag House (printed on bottom of card in white). Very nice shot of the smelter in foreground and Bag House in background up on hill.  These two buildings dwarf all the others in the photo. Only picture that shows the train trestle in background.  Very impressive photograph. Same minor pencil inscriptions on reverse. Fine condition.
  18. Photo of mine holding on to the steep hillside.  This card is different than the others in that the reverse is imprinted Pub. (published) by F. S. Lowden, Mammoth, Cal.  There is a small price pencil inscription and Mono. Co.  We believe the Mono Co. is incorrect. This in the only RCP in the entire set we have seen previously offered (Holabird, 2002). In that auction we believe Mr. Holabird incorrectly attributed the card to the Mammoth Mine, Mono County. The picture in that auction is definitely of the Shasta Co. mine. (He did not have the luxury of another 25 accompanying photos).
  19. Mammoth Smelter (printed on bottom of card in white). Nice shot of smelter in foreground, along creek, and the Bag House on the hill in background. Both furiously pumping out smoke. Neat photo. Minor pencil inscriptions. Fine condition.
  20. Mammoth Mine (printed on bottom of card in white). Far pan shot of mine buildings on hillside.  Minor pencil price inscription. Fine condition.

 

 

All the pictures look like they were taken when all structures were in operation, likely at the height of the mine production circa 1907-1911.

 

Per our research, the last time any of these pictures were offered was in 2002. Each (there were two) sold between $25-50

 

 

Also included is the rare book - Ca Division of Mines Report: Photobucket Geology of the Mammoth Mine, Shasta, County, California.  This Special Report 28 was prepared by the Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mine, SF Ferry Building dated December 1952.  15 pgs. Condition: About Fine, some dogear and faded pages and a couple small tears on the jacket but no major problems.  There are 9 plate maps, all look basically unused.

 

We searched; there are no copies of this book existing at Ca Geological Survey Reference Library.

 

This was the only book we could find on line.

 

We offer this entire collection here, intact, for $800.  We would prefer not selling individual photos or breaking up the set.  But if there is one in particular you really want, we are willing to discuss.

 

Thanks,

Coinmine

Shasta CA Mammoth Mine Picture Collection

Price: $ 800.00