Tikwah Mining Corporation Photograph Albums

Collection

Identifier: MSS 0592

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The collection contains two photo albums of the Tikwah goldmine in British Guiana. The albums include 97 photos documenting the region, the mining operations, and the mining camp. Most of the photographs were taken between 1948 and 1949, and each one is labeled and dated. The pages contain pencil annotations describing the photos.

The Album Vol.1 (1946-1948) contains 65 photos showing the Mazaruni and Karanang Rivers, the mountains, the Issano Village, Tikwah and Peter’s Mine, Bartica Road, Tikwah workers and office staff (each person is identified by name and position), and a group photo of eight Black women. The album also includes photographs of “pork knockers”; individuals who work at gold and diamond deposits by manual methods and work either alone or in the company of other workers.

The Album Vol. 2 (1948-1949) contains 32 photographs illustrating the Puruni, Issano, Eping, and Mazaruni Rivers, Peter’s Mine, a police station in Enachu, the Kurupung mining community, the Tikwah Mines, and an incident in which a boat got trapped between rocks at Kaburi Falls.

Dates

Creation: 1946-1949
Creation: Majority of material found within 1948-1949

Access

The collection is open for research.

Biographical/Historical Note

In 1929 the gold-quartz vein of the Tikwah mines was discovered near the Karanang River and the right bank of the Mazaruni River. The Tikwah Mining Corporation conducted subsurface and exploration work at the mines from 1942 to 1949. Samuel Hirsh Holzman was the owner and managing director of the Tikwah Mining Corporation, as well as the vice president of the Mining Association of British Guiana. In April 1950, the Tikwah Mining Corporation ceased operations at the mine and transferred its staff to work at the Peters Mine.