Collection:
Juneau—Douglas City Museum
Object ID:
2006.06.040A—H
Accession#:
2006.06
Credit Line:
Donated by Willette Janes.
Object Name:
Print, photographic
Title:
Bureau of Mines Assay Lab
Place:
Douglas/Mayflower Island
Description:
Eight color photographs of a mine assay lab.
A. A man with safety gloves looks into a crucible held in long tongs. The background has a table covered with crucibles stacked upon it.
B. A muffle furnace with the door open and crucibles visible inside it. The furnace appears red and a hand with safety glove is holding the door handle on mid photo proper right. On the reverse side is hand written in ink: "Muffle Furnace".
C. A man is seen with safety gloves on proper left. He is pouring a liquid into a mold on a bench table covered with stacked crucibles. On the reverse side hand written in ink: "Pouring into conical molds — 2 donated one like this without the handle".
D. Bags in white and brown cloth are arranged on a table in parallel rows. Most of the white bags are on proper right. The background is stacked boxes labeled: "ASSAY CRUC. 30 GRAMS
64 EA."
E. A lab table has multiple brown bags stacked vertically in a row in front of full molds. A man's back and left arm is visible on proper left. On reverse side is hand written in ink: "I believe this is the items he donated to City Mus."
F. A lab table with a mold with sixteen containers on proper right and a mold with eight containers proper right. The rear of the table is covered with stacked crucibles. On reverse side is hand written in ink: "Crucibles and cupels (small)".
G. A man with safety gloves is holding long tongs with a container at the open door of a muffle furnace. On reverse side is handwritten in ink: "Bureau of Mines Assay Lab (Charles Merrill) U.S.B. Mines Dgls 1985".
H. A man with safety gloves is holding long tongs inside an open door of a muffle furnace. The inside of the furnace is glowing red.
A. A man with safety gloves looks into a crucible held in long tongs. The background has a table covered with crucibles stacked upon it.
B. A muffle furnace with the door open and crucibles visible inside it. The furnace appears red and a hand with safety glove is holding the door handle on mid photo proper right. On the reverse side is hand written in ink: "Muffle Furnace".
C. A man is seen with safety gloves on proper left. He is pouring a liquid into a mold on a bench table covered with stacked crucibles. On the reverse side hand written in ink: "Pouring into conical molds — 2 donated one like this without the handle".
D. Bags in white and brown cloth are arranged on a table in parallel rows. Most of the white bags are on proper right. The background is stacked boxes labeled: "ASSAY CRUC. 30 GRAMS
64 EA."
E. A lab table has multiple brown bags stacked vertically in a row in front of full molds. A man's back and left arm is visible on proper left. On reverse side is hand written in ink: "I believe this is the items he donated to City Mus."
F. A lab table with a mold with sixteen containers on proper right and a mold with eight containers proper right. The rear of the table is covered with stacked crucibles. On reverse side is hand written in ink: "Crucibles and cupels (small)".
G. A man with safety gloves is holding long tongs with a container at the open door of a muffle furnace. On reverse side is handwritten in ink: "Bureau of Mines Assay Lab (Charles Merrill) U.S.B. Mines Dgls 1985".
H. A man with safety gloves is holding long tongs inside an open door of a muffle furnace. The inside of the furnace is glowing red.
Notes:
Man in the photo is likely Charles Merrill Jr., as per Dave Carnes, the last US Bureau of Mines Director on the Island. Merrill graduated from UA Fairbanks in the late 1950's or early 60's and worked his entire career on the Island. He would have been the main person performing fire assays during his tenure. He was a bachelor, retired in the late 1980s and passed away a few years afterward.
People:
Merrill, Charles Jr.
Search Terms:
JMIC
Assaying
T&E
Prospecting
Mining
Assaying
T&E
Prospecting
Mining
Click to Enlarge
W Janes photo testing sample
W Janes photo muffle furnace
W Janes photo pouring gold in
W Janes photo boxes of assay c
W Janes photo assay items for
W Janes photo crucibles & cupe
Janes photo Charles Merrill as
W Janes Charles Merrill muffle
W Janes photo testing sample
W Janes photo muffle furnace
W Janes photo pouring gold in
W Janes photo boxes of assay c
W Janes photo assay items for
W Janes photo crucibles & cupe
Janes photo Charles Merrill as
W Janes Charles Merrill muffle