Digging Collection

A Miner Success by Bruce Bairnsfather, WW1 cartoon
" They must ave ad some good news or somethin, Alf; you can ear em cheerin quite plain." Two British Tommies, Bill and Alf

Farmer and team of working horses plough a field
A team of two heavy horses plough a field, watched by a large crow and a pet springer spaniel. Watercolour painting by Malcom Greensmith Date: circa 1980

Common Mole
AEB-2941 European / Common MOLE - emerging from hole, showing spade-like feet used for digging Talpa europaea Elizabeth Bomford Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman. 1892

The Flemish Proverbs (oil on canvas)
BAL67235 The Flemish Proverbs (oil on canvas) by Brueghel, Pieter the Younger (c.1564-1638); 119.6x164 cm; Johnny van Haeften Gallery, London

Two miners in a narrow coal seam, South Wales
Two miners, one of them quite young, working in a narrow coal seam in a mine in South Wales

Dig for Victory poster - WWII
World War Two poster encouraging British civilians to dig for victory, featuring somebody doing just that

Mechanical digger

Hamster - Digging in sand
JD-19908 Hamster - Digging in sand John Daniels Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Fulham manager Malcolm Macdonald with a roll of turf at Craven Cottage as the pitch is re-laid. 12th May 1983

Digging Golf Bunker
Men busy preparing the 8th bunker at Princes golf course, Sandwich, Kent, in readiness for the Open Championship in June

WW2 - Recycling cans to aid war effort in East Ham, London
WW2 - Recycling tin cans to aid the war effort in East Ham, London - April, 1940. Date: 1940

Cleaning out roadside drainage ditches which had become overgrown using JCB digger, England, February

Raleigh / Potatoes / Ireland
SIR WALTER RALEIGH English navigator supervising the first planting of potatoes in Ireland

Petrie at Daphne
The Pharoahs Palace at Daphne being excavated by renowned archaeologist William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853 - 1942) who devoted his life to studying Egyptian culture

Sikh Troops Digging
Sikh infantry in the British army digging communication trenches and laying cables to connect up advanced positions

Rasselas and Imlac digging a tunnel
Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, together with his companion, the wise man Imlac, digging a tunnel in order to escape the Happy Valley and see what life is like beyond it

Green Turtle, (Chelonia mydas) nesting female on beach, Ascension Island, South Atlantic Ocean

Bearded pig (Sus barbatus) digging in sand, foraging for crabs on beach, Bako National Park, Sarawak, Borneo

Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Tsarevitch, Grand Duchess Tatian
Tsar Nicholas II of Russia pictured with two of his children, the Grand Duchess Tatiana and Alexei, the Tsarevitch, building a fortification from snow in the grounds of the Imperial Palace at

Shetland Islands - Cutting a peat bank
A Crofter cutting a peat bank on The Shetland Islands, Scotland. Date: circa 1920s

Collared Lemmings - adults in winter fur, large winter claws for digging snow (in summer they are smaller) (Dicrostonyx torquatus). Taimyr peninsula, Kara sea shore, North of Siberia, Russian Arcti

Earthworms - Soil cross-section showing worms in tunnnels and aeration and grass roots JPF12192
JPF-6743 Earthworms - Soil cross-section showing worms in tunnnels and aeration and grass roots Jean Paul Ferrero Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Mole - emerging from hole on surface
JLM-9605 European / Common MOLE - emerging from burrow Talpa europaea Tulepa europa John Mason Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Regal Horned Lizard Female, constructing nest. Arizona, USA
CAN-2100 Regal Horned Lizard - Female, constructing nest. Arizona, USA. Phrynosoma solare John Cancalosi Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Pompeii Excavation, 1751
Carlo III di Borbone visits the first excavations at Pompeii

Workmen open up the road in Brandling Park, Jesmond, Newcastle, for the laying of new gas pipes prior to work starting on the new motorway on 24th January, 1972

Leonardesque model. Trench-digging machine. Model. Technolog
Leonardesque model. Trench-digging machine. Drawing of a digger for excavating trenches or channels. Manuscript L, sheet 76v, 1497-1502. Model. The science and Technology Museum Leonardo da Vinci

Mine and Countermine by Heath Robinson
A tunnelling stand off between a British and German soldier with the German soldier eventually burrowing so deeply he falls out of the other side of the world. Date: 1915

LONG ISLAND: CLAMMING, 1957. Two nuns in habits, clam digging in the water off of Long Island, New York. Photograph by Toni Frissell, 1957

Yellow fork lift truck

Peat cutting, Connemara, County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Europe

The sledge party to White Island, February 1902: Shackleton and Wilson making camp
CH375987 The sledge party to White Island, February 1902: Shackleton and Wilson making camp, 1902 (w/c on paper) by Wilson

Porthcothan Bay Cornwall, 1950s Holiday Makers dig a trech in the sand to stop cars from being driven on to the beach. The trench was 150 yards long and 2 feet deep

Each man for himself - prospectors at West Wylam digging for coal during the fuel shortage in February 1952

Hard lines on the hard court by George Studdy
Hard lines on the hard court -- the Bonzolines dig in their search for the ball, which Bonzo is holding in his mouth. George Ernest Studdy (1878-1948), was the creator of Bonzo

Digital illustration of wooden pegs gauging depth for patio in excavated soil

The construction of an Air Raid Precautions shelter beneath a war memorial in Swanley, Kent. 1939

Garden fork in dug soil on allotment, Suffolk, England, august

Rabbits, I believe by George Studdy
Bonzo and brother cannot think what a nice round hole if for unless it be a rabbits doorway! Bonzo, the comic, canine creation of George Studdy totally ruins the ninth hole on a golf course by

Digging for gold in Scotland
The Sutherlandshire gold diggings in Scotland. A sketch of men searching for gold at Kildonan Burn

Short-beaked Echidna - frontal portrait of an adult digging in the ground
SAS-1409 Short-beaked Echidna - adult digging in the ground and sticking its beak halfway down into the earth. Tasmania, Australia Tachyglossus aculeatus It searches for food which consists solely of

Hedgehog - juvenile burrowing into pile of garden leaves for hibernation - September - Norfolk England
FEU-688 Hedgehog - juvenile burrowing into pile of garden leaves for hibernation September - Norfolk England Erinaceus europaeus Geoff du Feu Please note that prints are for personal display purposes

Southern Stingray - digging in sand for food. Grand Cayman Island, Caribbean
KA-193 SOUTHERN STINGRAY - digging in sand for food Grand Cayman Island, Caribbean Dasyatis americana Kurt Amsler Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Hissarlik (Troy) Digging
A clear example of the excavation style of Heinrich Schliemann at Hissarlik, cutting through later occupation levels, actually missing Homerian deposits!

Truffle hunters in Perigord in France (chromolitho)
736029 Truffle hunters in Perigord in France (chromolitho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Truffle hunters in Perigord in France)

Salt mine, near Cracow 1870
Salt mine of Wielitska, near Cracow, Poland, workmen deep down in the mines, chipping away at the salt. Date: 1870

The Coal Miners Strike, the Inhabitants of Streethouse, near Castleford, digging for Coal among the Refuse at the Pits
1062985 The Coal Miners Strike, the Inhabitants of Streethouse, near Castleford, digging for Coal among the Refuse at the Pits Mouth (litho) by Staniland, Charles J

Interior of a coal mine, 1862. Underground scene in a mine, showing a miner winning coal, while a wagon full of coal is being hauled along rails to the bottom of the pit shaft by a pony

Construction of a Railway Line, 1841. Digging a cutting on the Great Western Railway. Broad gauge line by Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-1859) appointed engineer to the GWR in 1833

Hulluch underground system 1918
Hulluch underground system known as Charing Cross near Loos. The 3rd Australian Tunnel Company engaged in defensive work on the Western Front in France during World War I in January 1918

Aa Parmentier / P Journal
ANTOINE-AUGUSTIN PARMENTIER Centenary celebration of the man who introduced the potato to France

Sappers & Miners / Hill 60
Sappers and miners of the Royal Engineers drive a tunnel under Hill 60 at Ypres, obliterated by a mine fired by the British in April 1915

Clam Diggers sorting and grading their pickings, Boston, USA
Clam Diggers sorting and grading their pickings - Boston, Massachusetts, USA Date: circa 1910s

Picture No. 10735403
Young boy digging out from snow storm - using snow blower to clear driveway after 17 inch overnight snow, Februrary 2007 Date:

Excavator digging stone on hillside, England, november

Peabody and John Bull
GEORGE PEABODY the American philanthropist shames John Bull into digging into his own pocket to help Londons homeless. Date: 1860S

Excavator building sea defences, Dunoon, Firth of Clyde, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, august

A Devon beach scene
A Devon Beach Scene. Two young boys in coast and caps build a sandcastle. Photograph by Ralph Ponsonby Watts

CLAN ROSE
Clan ROSE engaged in digging peat

Suricate / Meerkat - clean out new hole for refuge in time of danger Kalahari Desert, Africa
CH-4044 Suricate / Meerkat - clean out new hole for refuge in time of danger Kalahari Desert, Africa. Suricata suricatta Clem Haagner Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only

Miner at coal face -3
Coal miner working underground at the coalface of Acres Nook private coal mine, near, Kidsgrove, Staffordshire England. The mine closed in 1991. First published The Sunday Correspondent Date: 1990

Miner at coal face -2
Coal miner working underground at the coalface of Acres Nook private coal mine, near, Kidsgrove, Staffordshire England. The mine closed in 1991. First published The Sunday Correspondent Date: 1990

Trinidad and Tobago - Pitch Lake at La Brea - Loading Pitch - British West Indies.. This particular truck has an M.G.W (Maximum Gross Weight) of 3 tonnes. Date: circa 1910s

Hairy woodpecker (Leuconotopicus villosus) digging for insects on maple tree. Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Two miners breaking up salt blocks in the salt flat, Danakil Depression, Afar Region, Ethiopia, Africa

Digging for water in the Gobi Desert (chromolitho)
2782917 Digging for water in the Gobi Desert (chromolitho) by European School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Digging for water in the Gobi Desert)

First earth from Lexington Ave subway, D. McManus & T Stack, chief engineer
First earth from Lexington Ave. subway, D. McManus & T. Stack, chief engineer, between c1910 and c1915

Breaking ground. for New Subway, between c1910 and c1915. Creator: Bain News Service
Breaking ground. for New Subway, between c1910 and c1915

McAneny - Prendergast, Milo, breaking ground for Subway, between c1910 and c1915. Creator: Bain News Service
George McAneny, William A. Prendergast, Milo, breaking ground for Subway, between c1910 and c1915

Working on motor speedway, 1910. Creator: Bain News Service
Working on motor speedway, 1910

The Earth, unknown date. Creator: Nicolas Lancret
The Earth, unknown date. Part of a series on the Four Elements, a theme that was popular during the 17th century and which frequently took the form of depictions of figures engaged in tasks

Les bêcheurs (The diggers), 1855-1856. Creator: Jean Francois Millet
Les becheurs (The diggers), 1855-1856

Preparation to start the Day
Sudipta Chakraborty

A navvy
5308524 A navvy.; (add.info.: Illustration depicting a navvy. Railway navvies were sent out to the Crimea to build a railway and to help with digging trenches. Dated 19th century)

Cartoon depicting a Navvy in heavy marching order: Railway navvies were sent out to the Crimea to build a railway
5308762 Cartoon depicting a Navvy in heavy marching order: Railway navvies were sent out to the Crimea to build a railway and to help with digging trenches, during the Crimean War

Collieries by William Henry Pyne (1769-1843), c.1820 (engraving)
XND76044 Collieries by William Henry Pyne (1769-1843), c.1820 (engraving); Private Collection

Navvies working on the Liverpool-Manchester Railway
5308493 Navvies working on the Liverpool-Manchester Railway.; (add.info.: Illustration depicting navvies working on the Liverpool-Manchester Railway across the Chat Moss Bog. Dated 19th century)

Navvies working on the Balaklava Railway Line
5308402 Navvies working on the Balaklava Railway Line.; (add.info.: Illustration depicting navvies working on the Balaklava Railway Line. Dated 19th century)

Defensive trenches dug across the streets at Porte Maillot, Paris, France during the panic engendered by the German
3502700 Defensive trenches dug across the streets at Porte Maillot, Paris, France during the panic engendered by the German advance during WWI, from The Pageant of the Century

Aristocrats digging the Champ-de-Mars, 1790
1574857 Aristocrats digging the Champ-de-Mars, 1790; (add.info.: Aristocrats digging the Champ-de-Mars. The image shows well-dressed aristocrats and members of the clergy digging)

London street scenes
863261 London street scenes; (add.info.: London street scenes. Boy Chimney Sweep: Cab driver: Orange Seller: Water Board Man turning a stopcock: Digging up the road)

An engraving depicting the digging of alum from crystallising pans, 19th century
5311338 An engraving depicting the digging of alum from crystallising pans, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1860); Universal History Archive/UIG

Navvies working on the Balaklava Railway Line
5308404 Navvies working on the Balaklava Railway Line.; (add.info.: Illustration depicting navvies working on the Balaklava Railway Line. Dated 19th century)

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"Digging: Unearthing the Essence of Hard Work and Resilience" When Adam delved and Eve span, they laid the foundation for human perseverance through digging. "A Miner Success" by Bruce Bairnsfather, a poignant WW1 cartoon that captures the grit and determination of those who toiled underground. "The Flemish Proverbs, " an oil on canvas masterpiece depicting the wisdom gained from digging deep into life's experiences. From the depths of soil to hidden tunnels, the Common Mole teaches us about persistence in its relentless pursuit underground. In England, February saw roadside drainage ditches reclaimed from overgrowth with the help of a powerful JCB digger - a testament to human ingenuity in restoring order. During WWII, "Dig for Victory" posters inspired communities to cultivate their own food by digging up every inch of available land. Two miners navigating narrow coal seams in South Wales exemplify teamwork and bravery amidst challenging conditions below ground. A farmer harnessing a team of working horses ploughs a field, showcasing how traditional methods rooted in digging continue to shape agriculture today. The precision required when digging golf bunkers demands skillful hands and strategic thinking on lush green fairways worldwide. Mechanical diggers revolutionized construction projects as they dug deeper foundations for towering structures that define modern skylines globally. Hamsters find solace in sand as they tirelessly dig burrows - reminding us that even small creatures can teach valuable lessons about perseverance and finding comfort within ourselves. WW2 witnessed cans being recycled in East Ham, London; each act symbolizing how even seemingly insignificant efforts can contribute towards larger causes during times of war.