Shovel Collection (#21)

MINING TOOLS. Advertisement for shovels and spades from a 19th century American mail-order catalog

MINING TOOLS. Advertisement for mining shovels from an American mail-order catalog, 19th century

CHILDREN AT THE BEACH, 1877. The Seaside Martyr. Wood engraving, American, 1877

Polish infantryman
A Polish infantryman in full war kit complete with shovel. The Illustrated London News calls him a type of soldier who can endure privation, make long marches without difficulty

Game / Shuffleboard 17C
Men playing shuffleboard (or shovel-board) in an English inn Date: 17th century

Early humans smelting iron
Early humans smelting and working iron, coloured artwork. The high temperatures required to obtain iron metal from its ore were not possible until the development of advanced smelting techniques

Miners in a timbered tunnel. Historical artwork of workers in a 19th century mine, loading debris and rocks onto a wagon. Timber was used in mines to support the roof

Limestone quarry at cement works
Quarrying. A power shovel dumping a load of limestone into a truck at a quarry. The limestone is going to be heated and used as a base material for cement manufacture Photographed at the Teploozersky

Copper mine excavator and trucks. These massive trucks (lower left and lower right) are used to transport mine haulings and ore from the excavation areas to the processing areas

Copper mine excavator and truck. This massive truck (lower left) is used to transport mine haulings and ore from the excavation areas to the processing areas

DONKEY RIDING. Actor Charles Murray as a prospector riding a donkey. Motion picture still

TELL IT TO SWEENEY, 1927. Starring Chester Conklin. Silent film still

Railroad blocked by snow in the Rockies
Digging out a railroad snowed under in Colorado, 1880s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Harley Davidson Custom Shovel

Blackbird (Turdus merula), on garden spade, in snow, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Mural on house, Taipei, Taiwan

Land Girl by George Ranstead
A member of the Womens Land Army during World War One is depicted in her uniform shovelling manure or soil. An impression by George Ranstead

RAF air cadet shovelling coal
Cartoon of a Royal Air Force air cadet on training at Heaton Park, Manchester, shovelling coal

Man shovelling manure from the back of a lorry
A man shovelling manure from the back of a lorry

Bosnia - Sarajevo - Railway Workers
Happy smiling Railway workers, delighted at having completed the railway link between Samac and Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina - then under Russian occupation)

Satire on the plea for a labourers vote
Excellent political satire on the plea for a labourers vote, as both a Tory and a Liberal Politician get down on their knees to beg for the vote of the common working man

Industrial furnaces
Workmen in front of two Meldrum Brothers patent furnaces, manufactured in Manchester. The furnaces may be " destructors", for the purpose of burning town refuse

Shovelling rubble onto a lorry
A workman bends down to shovel up some rubble from roadworks onto the back of a lorry

A road sweeper
A rather ragged dustman or road sweeper with his sweeping brushes and shovel, cart and empty bottle of ale! Photograph by Ralph Ponsonby Watts

To The Rescue by William Heath Robinson
Sequential cartoon by William Heath Robinson with the first picture showing a policeman directing a large army of helpers towards a top hat and gloves lying forlornly in the snow

Cornish Coal Lorry
Cornish coalmen unloading coal from their lorry onto a ship before it sets sail from the harbour with its cargo of China clay

Young Cloudesley Shovel Swimming With Despatches
Engraving taken from the painting Young Cloudesley Shovel Swimming with Despatches through the Enemys Fire. In the background can be seen the stern of a 16th or 17th century warship

Ladies by a Fireside
Two young ladies sit in front of an open fire : should they require them, a whole battery of tools are available to poke the coals, shovel the ash or brush the hearth

Man Shovels Snow
A young man clears heavy snow with a shovel, from the pavement outside his home and from around a parked motorcycle!

Man Clears Snow
A young man clears heavy snow with a shovel, from the pavement outside his home

Costume / Girl / Franchomme
Girl wears a red fur or plush hat, buttoned up tunic or skirted jacket with soutache (Russian braid) over her dress, matching cape with blue lining & leather gloves

In March 2009 Northern China had its largest snowfall for many years, cutting off many towns
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

Bulldozers rebuilding the sotrm beach in Cley Norfolk UK. As climate change induced sea level rise takes hold areas of
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

Roadworkers in Ambleside UK
Ashley Cooper / SpecialistStock

Northern Shoveler Female feeding on pond weed. Cleveland, UK
ROY-195 Northern Shoveler - Female feeding on pond weed. Cleveland, UK Anas clypeata Roy Glen Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Restoration work, Arg-e Bam, Bam, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Iran, Middle East

Close-up of spade in sand on a building site, City of London, England, United Kingdom, Europe

Menelik Works
King Menelik picks up a shovel and shows he is not too proud to work

Steam Shovel Canada
Using a steam shovel to clear away heavy debris while constructing a railway

Digging in the Catacombs
Early Christians, with pick, shovel, and a flaming torch, dig themselves secret places for their meetings in the Roman catacombs

Miner (Series)
Le mineur - MINER - sets off down the mine, pick and shovel on his shoulder, safety lamp in his hand

Bristol Sugar Refinery
Workers shovel sugar at the Counterslip refinery in Bristol, England

Gold in California
A prospector, armed with pick and shovel, sieve and six- shooter

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"From Solidarity to Victory: The Enduring Symbolism of the Shovel" The humble shovel, a tool that has witnessed and shaped history across centuries, stands as a symbol of labor, resilience, and triumph. Its significance transcends time and borders, connecting diverse moments in human experience. In the spirit of solidarity, labors around the world celebrate May Day each year. They unite under banners bearing images like Hamilton at Yorktown in 1781 - an iconic depiction of determination amidst conflict. This steel engraving by Alonzo Chappel captures the essence of collective effort that echoes through generations. During World War II's darkest days, the "Dig for Victory" poster became a rallying cry for nations ravaged by war. It urged citizens to cultivate their own food as an act of defiance against scarcity and oppression. In Heihe on the Chinese-Russian border, workers shoveled heavy snow during one fateful March storm - a testament to their unwavering dedication even in nature's harshest grip. Through royal corridors and mining tunnels alike, shovels have left indelible marks on history's canvas. Tsar Nicholas II himself may have wielded one alongside his family members while tending to their estate or engaging in manual labor - reminding us that hard work knows no boundaries. Deep within East Pool Mine in Cornwall lies evidence of back-breaking toil endured by miners seeking prosperity beneath unforgiving earth. Similarly haunting are the ruins of Petworth boys school from September 29th, 1942 - where young hands once grasped shovels now reclaimed by time but forever etched into memory. Gender barriers crumbled as well when illustrations depicted female manual workers standing proudly behind tipper trucks with spades held high. These women shattered stereotypes while contributing significantly to societies' progress. The founding tale unfolds further with Pedro Menendez de Aviles establishing St. Augustine, Florida in 1565.