1778 Pryce Schematic of Bullen Garden Copper Mine, Cornwall, England

Copper Capital of the World.

This is a scarce 1778 cross-section schematic of the Bullen Garden copper mine in Cornwall, England, prepared for William Pryce's Mineralogia cornubiensis. At this time, Cornwall was the 'Copper Capital of the World' and Bullen Garden was among the largest and most productive mines in the region.

A Closer Look

This view provides a cross-section presentation of the mine, including its surface-level engines, wheels, and pumps, as well as the shafts, winches, ladders, and other infrastructure extending hundreds of feet underground. Letters and numbers label features throughout, which correspond to Pryce's text. At bottom is a modified coat of arms of the Basset family, which owned the land on which the mine sat.

Historical Context

By the late 18th century, Cornwall had established itself as the copper mining capital of the world, undergoing a period of rapid industrial expansion that fundamentally reshaped its landscape. While the region had been known for tin for centuries, the discovery of copper deposits, particularly in the 'Great Flat Lode' near Camborne, sparked a copper boom driven by the insatiable demands of the Industrial Revolution, where copper was essential for everything from brass machinery parts to the sheathing of British naval ships to protect them from shipworm. During this time, the scale of operations grew exponentially, turning the Cornish countryside into a forest of chimney stacks and engine houses, many of these can still be seen today.

The Bullen Garden Mine was situated on the lands of the Basset family of Tehidy, one of Cornwall's most powerful 'mineral lords.' Francis Basset (later Lord de Dunstanville, to whom this view is dedicated) profited immensely from the site, using the wealth generated there to fund his lavish estate and political influence. The mine was also an important site of innovation, being an early adopter of advanced drainage systems, which were necessary to combat the heavy flooding that plagued the deep copper lodes of the area. When cheaper copper from Wales threatened the mines of Cornwall, Bullen Garden was amalgamated into the Dolcoath complex. This merger created a mining giant that could afford the massive capital investment required for the new Watt steam engines, which were far more effective at pumping water out of the ever-deepening shafts. Today, the mine is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Dolcoath and Camborne mining district.

Publication History and Census

This map was prepared by Richard Phillips (likely not the Richard Phillips who somewhat later prepared a map of the young United States, UnitedStates-phillips-1804), engraved by Thomas Kitchin and J. Barber, and published as Plate 4 in William Pryce's Mineralogia Cornubiensis: A Treatise on Minerals, Mines and Mining. This view is not independently cataloged among the holdings of any institution and is scarce to the market, while the entire Mineralogia Cornubiensis is well distributed in institutional collections.

Cartographer

Thomas Kitchin (August 4, 1718 – June 23, 1784) was a London based engraver, cartographer, and publisher. He was born in London to a hat-dyer of the same name. At 14, Kitchin apprenticed under Emanuel Bowen, under whom he mastered the art of engraving. He married Bowen daughter, Sarah Bowen, and later inherited much of his preceptor's prosperous business. Their son, Thomas Bowen Kitchin, also an engraver joined the family business, which thereafter published in Thomas Kitchin and Son. From 1858 or so Kitchin was the engraver to the Duke of York, and from about 1773 acquired the title, 'Royal Hydrographer to King George III.' He is responsible for numerous maps published in the The Star, Gentleman's Magazine, and London Magazine, as well as partnering with, at various times, with Thomas Jefferys, Emmanuel Bowen, Thomas Hinton, Issac Tayor, Andrew Dury, John Rocque, Louis de la Rochette, and Alexander Hogg, among others. Kitchin passed his business on to his son, Thomas Bowen Kitchin, who continued to republish many of his maps well after his death. Kitchin's apprentices included George Rollos, Bryant Lodge, Thomas Bowen Kitchin, Samuel Turner Sparrow, John Page, and Francis Vivares.   Further Details...

Source

Pryce, W., Mineralogia cornubiensis ; or, A general treatise upon minerals, mines, and mining..., (London: James Phillips) 1778.    

Condition

Very good. Slight soiling. Upper left margin extended.