Mine workers did much more than just mine.
Here, workers dig a trench as part of a
construction project.
Mine workers pan for gold in a temporary set-up
before completion of the automatic washers.
This photo, grouped with photos of a royal visit
from 1893, depicts the "final emancipation" of
the black workers of Morro Velho.
Brazil outlawed slavery in 1888.
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The Workers of Morro Velho
click any of the photos for more detail.
The Saint John d'El Rey Company employed a massive work force
to construct and to operate not only the mines, but also the
support functions at Morro Velho. In addition to the actual
mining, laborers for the Saint John d'El Rey Company also cut
roads, built surface structures, manufactured needed
equipment, and even guarded the gold shipments to the coast for exportation.
The mining operations at Morro Velho also called for a large
number of skilled workers. Engineers, accountants, geologists,
and blacksmiths all played essential roles in the endeavor. Most
of the skilled positions were filled by European workers, with the
laborers being made up of a mix of native Brazilians, Brazilians of
African descent (the vast majority of whom began their careers as slaves),
and imported Welsh, English, and Cornish miners.
The employees of the mine lived in company-built houses (of varying quality
depending upon position) either at Morro Velho or in the nearby town of Nova
Lima. Because the English Saint John d'El Rey Company employed many Britons at
Morro Velho, the Church of England also established a parish church for Nova
Lima which saw to the spiritual needs of the mine workers.
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Mine workers repair the
scaffolding of a new excavation.
Company accountants weigh and record
extracted gold while
Brazilian officials look on.
Shop workers make and repair switches.
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