Royal Commonwealth Society : Illustration of Diamond Industry from 'Mining the ground' to 'Diamonds classified for shipment'

Royal Commonwealth Society

<p style='text-align: justify;'>An album containing prints measuring approximately 210 x 150 mm. with letterpress captions beneath the plates. Each plate also has a descriptive text tipped-into the page beside the print. Photographs by J.E. Middlebrook, a commercial photographer in Kimberly around 1888-94 and in Durban around 1898-99. An introduction pasted on to the first sheet of the album reads:</p><p style='text-align: justify;'> The Diamond Industry illustrated. In submitting this volume of photographic views of the Griqualand West Diamond Industry, in all its operations, to the public, J.E. Middlebrook ventures to think that it will prove an interesting South African souvenir, as well as being in some sense instructive of the various processes by which the Diamond is won from the bowels of the earth. These pictures also, it is hoped, strikingly illustrate the importance and extent of the most valuable of Cape Colonial Industries.</p><p style='text-align: justify;'> J.E.M. desires to express to the De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd., his acknowledgements of the courtesy and readily granted facilities at all times extended to him, in the somewhat laborious work of talking the views (underground as well as on the surface) which are now presented to the Public in album form. The 'Premier' Studio, Kimberley, June, 1891.</p>