Folio album ca. 37,5x28 cm (14 ¾ x 11 in). 30 card stock leaves (9 blank). With 39 mounted and one loosely inserted albumen photos, including fourteen large images from ca. 21x28 cm (8 ¼ x 11 in) to ca. 22x25 cm (8 ¾ x 9 ¾ in). The rest of the photos are from ca. 15x20 cm (6x8 in) to ca. 10x14,5 cm (4 x 5 ¾ in). Over thirty mounted photos with period ink or pencil captions on the mounts, several also with manuscript dates “1880,” “1882,” “1883,” “1884” or “1885.” The loosely inserted photo is with a manuscript ink caption and date on verso. With a loosely inserted paper leaf ca. 23x17,5 cm (9x7 in) with a period manuscript ink inscription “Morro Velho, Minas Gerais, Brazil.” Also with a loosely inserted paper leaf ca. 32,5x20cm (12 ¾ x 7 ¾ in) with a typewritten text of Branfill’s memoir; two manuscript corrections in text. Period green quarter roan with cloth boards; spine and boards with gilt-tooled decorative borders. Paper label of “A. & N. C. S. Ltd., Stationery Dept., 105, Victoria St., S.W.” on the rear pastedown endpaper. Binding slightly rubbed on extremities and loosened on hinges, with a minor tear to the upper front hinge, a few photos mildly faded or with mild creases, several photos with minor repaired tears on extremities or small losses on the margins; overall a very good album of interesting rare early photos.

Historically significant collection of rare early original albumen photos of industrial facilities, residence quarters, British employees and native workers of Morro Velho gold mine, situated near modern-day Nova Lima city in the Minas Gerais state of Brazil. Owned and operated by British “Saint John d’El Rey Mining Company” in 1834-1957, Morro Velho mine “at one time <…> was the deepest in the world, as 2,545 metres (8,350 ft) below the entrance adit. <…> The company encouraged British miners to come to work in Brazil and employed slaves until they were emancipated in the late 19th century” (Wikipedia). Currently owned by “AngloGold Ashanti Ltd.,” Morro Velho is the world’s oldest continuously worked mine.

The album was compiled by Capel Aylett Branfill, a mining engineer from South Wales, who was employed at Morro Velho as the head of the Mechanics Department in ca. 1884-1886. Three “Annual Reports of the Directors of the St. John d’El Rey Mining Co.,” covering the period from April 1884 to April 1886, contain the “Reports on the Mechanics Department,” signed by Branfill (see: 54th Annual Report of the Directors… London, 1884, p. 74; 55th Annual Report of the Directors… London, 1885, p. 53; 56th Annual Report of the Directors… London, 1886, p. 48; https://books.google.ca).

The photos of Morro Velho include general and close-up views of the property, featuring Casa Grande (superintendent’s office) and other administrative buildings, pit heads and machinery, various industrial facilities, and houses of British employees. A large, extensively annotated group portrait identifies twelve “English employees at Mo. Vo., most with 20-30 yrs. service, some of them born on the establishment.” Another photo shows George Oldham, then Morro Velho’s superintendent, posing on the veranda of his house. Two images (one faded) portray the album’s compiler (identified as “Capel Branfill” in the caption) and one of the company’s directors, S.E. Illingworth, riding to the Jaguara locality. A large, although partly faded, photo documents the scene of “revista” or review of slaves at Morro Velho. The full abolition of slavery in Brazil only took place in 1888.

Three captioned photos show the company’s Cuiaba mine, located northeast of Morro Velho (general views with mining facilities, Casa Grande). Three images (one captioned) depict the “village of Congonhas” – apparently Congonhas city in Minas Gerais state (general views, a close-up photo of the church). There are also views of “Rio das Velhas at Sabara,” scenes at picnics near Morro Velho, a picture of the annual flower and vegetable show at the company’s Stores, &c. The photos are supplemented with Branfill’s typewritten essay, recalling him fishing in a tributary of the “Rio das Vulhas” (apparently, Rio das Velhas) when he barely escaped an attack by a group of alligators. Overall a rare important source on the history of gold mining in Brazil in the 1880s.

More about C.A. Branfill: Mr. C.A. Branfill [Obituary]// Western Mail & South Wales News, 6 October 1833, p. 6.

A list of captions: View at Morro Velho taken from Engineer’s House (Cl. Branfill) showing the Office in front, Casa Grande behind in, the stores in [left?]. St. John del Rey Gold Mines, Brazil, 1885; Village of Congonhas, Mo. Vo. Brazil, 1882; The old St. John del Rey Mine yard, 1882, shewing the double 50 ft diamt. hauling wheels, the pumping wheel & compressor house, 1882; Pit head, Morro Velho, 1882, pits 500 yds. deep; The pit heads, St. John del Rey Gold Mine, Morro Velho, 1882; The mine office, 1882; Hauling wheel being built, 1882; View across the stamps, spalling floors, saw mill, Smithy reduction office, &c.; Showing vegetation at Mo. Vo., bananas in foreground; View of Morro Velho from Campo; Casa Grande (the Superintender’s Office), 1880; Some of the English employees at Mo. Vo., most with 20-30 yrs. service, some of them born on the establishment: Capt. Hodge (mine), Wm. Daniel (saw mill), Wm. Pascoe Jr. (mine carptr.); S. Clements (blacksmith), Hodge (mine), S. Joel (blacksmith), Wm. Jory (engineer’s clerk), Henry Cocking (foreman blacksmith), Wm. Pascoe (foreman carptr.), Wm. Cocking (carptr.), S.P. Jory (foreman minesmith), Capt. J. Eglick (mine), 1882; “Revista” of slaves at the Casa Grande, Sunday morning, Morro Velho, 1880; A double water wheel at Mo. Vo. being built 40 ft. diam.; Single water wheel (overshot) under constr., 25 ft. diamtr.; The pit heads, Mo. Vo. Mine, 1882; John Clement’s house, Mo. Vo., 1882; The Engineer’s house (Geo. Oldham, engr., sup. Intdt. 1882-84); Wm. John Jory, Wm. Jory, Mrs. Jory, Sam Paul Jory; Mr. & Mrs. Jory (he was my clerk in the engr. dept. at Mo. Velho mines, Brazil) with their sons Saml. Paul (in the mine dept.) & Wm. John (blacksmith in my dept.) at their cottage at Mo. Vo., 1884 [loosely inserted photo]; An English employee’s house at Mo. Vo.; S.E. Illingworth, a director of the Coy. & Capel Branfill en route to Jaguara; A view of Mo. Velho; Waterfall near Morro Velho; The Rio das Velhas at Sabara, 12 miles from Mo. Vo.; The Coy’s steamer on the Rio das Velhas below Mo. Vo.; A picnic at the head weir of the Crystaes Rego, Mo. Vo., 1883; The Casa Grande, Cuiaba Mine of the St. John del Rey Co., 18 miles from Mo. Vo.; Annual flower & vegetable show at the Stores, Mo. Vo.; A picnic on one of the regos at Mo. Vo.; Cuiaba, Casa Grande &c.; Sierra do [?] above Cuiaba; S.E. Illingworth & Capel Branfill en route to Jaguara.