Rufus E. Ribble, Photographer, Panoramic Group Portrait Photographs of Coal Miners and Related Subjects A&M 4167
West Virginia and Regional History Center
1549 University Ave.
P.O. Box 6069
Morgantown, WV 26506-6069
Business Number: 304-293-3536
wvrhcref@westvirginia.libanswers.com
URL:
https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu
Staff of the West Virginia & Regional History Center
Repository
West Virginia and Regional History Center
Identification
A&M 4167
Title
Rufus E. Ribble, Photographer, Panoramic Group Portrait Photographs of Coal Miners and Related Subjects ca. 1920-1958
URL:
https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/ark:/99999/205271
Quantity
.2 Linear Feet, Summary: 2 in. (large flat storage box, 1 1/2 in.); (oversize folder, 1/2 in)
Location
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown,
WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
Language
English
Abstract
This collection of panoramic photographs primarily documents the coal miners of Fayette and Raleigh counties . The photographer, Rufus "Red" Ribble, was born May 14, 1878, near Blacksburg, Virginia, and died December 27, 1967 in West
Virginia. He came to West Virginia sometime before 1920 and lived out his life in Mount Hope. The collection contains 119
panoramic photographs, which were made with a large rotating camera called a Cirkut camera. These photos are contact prints;
all but one are black and white. Images include group portraits, landscapes/views of towns, and a few views of store interiors.
Subjects of the photographs include coal miners, mining towns, local businesses, and local social and church groups. The majority
of the photos are group portraits of coal miners from Fayette and Raleigh counties .
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.
Conditions Governing Access
Special access restriction applies.
Researchers may access digitized materials by visiting the link attached to each item or by requesting to view the materials
in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.
Preferred Citation
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Rufus E. Ribble, Photographer, Panoramic Group Portrait Photographs of
Coal Miners and Related Subjects, A&M 4167, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries,
Morgantown, West Virginia.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchase from Crabtree, Mark, of Crabtree Photographs, 2016/01/19
Photographer Rufus "Red" Ribble was born May 14, 1878, near Blacksburg, Virginia, and died December 27, 1967 in West Virginia.
He came to West Virginia sometime before 1920 and lived out his life in Mount Hope. The collection includes 119 panoramic
photographs, which were made with a large rotating camera called a Cirkut camera. These photos are contact prints; all but
one are black and white. Images include group portraits, landscapes/views of towns, and a few views of store interiors. Subjects
of the photographs include coal miners, mining towns, local businesses, and local social and church groups. The majority of
the photos are group portraits of coal miners from Fayette and Raleigh counties . Some photos were identified with the help of West Virginia Coalfield Photography 1900-2005: Panoramic Photography, by Rufus Ribble, George A. Bragg, Morgan G. Bragg, and Melody Bragg (Beaver, WV: GEM Publications, 2005.) Photos are organized
roughly by county .
Coal mines and mining
Fayette County (W. Va.)
Greenbrier County (W. Va.)
Kanawha County (W. Va.)
Nicholas County (W. Va.)
Raleigh County (W. Va.)
Summers County (W. Va.)
Wyoming County (W. Va.)
Fayette County (W. Va.)
Greenbrier County (W. Va.)
Kanawha County (W. Va.)
Nicholas County (W. Va.)
Raleigh County (W. Va.)
Summers County (W. Va.)
Wyoming County (W. Va.)
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- Clifftop Mines (group portrait)
1929 July 18
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- Fire Creek Mine, Royalty Smokeless Coal Co., Clifftop, WV
1956
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- Preparation Plant, Royalty Smokeless Coal Co., Clifftop, WV (not group portrait)
1956
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- Ames Mining Company, Fayette, WV (night force)
1950
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- Fayette
County School Buses, Fayetteville, WV
1940 August 13
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- New River at Fayette Station (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- Whitlock Motor Co., Fayetteville, WV
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- Whitlock's Farm, Fayetteville, WV
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- Free Will Baptist Bible School, Kilsyth, WV
June 1948
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- North Kilsyth and Siltix, WV (group portrait)
September 1925
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- Saint Anthony Catholic Church, Kilsyth, WV
August 1949
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Fayette
County -- 12th Annual Sectional Safety Meeting, Mount Hope, WV
1941 September 13
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- City of Mount Hope, WV (landscape)
1948
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- Miner's First Aid Training or Mine Company Safety Contest, Mount Hope Stadium, Mount Hope, WV
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- Mount Hope, WV (Group portrait, mostly women wearing white with flowers)
1921 March 27
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- Beards Fork, WV ("hoot-owl" shift)
1956
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- Cannelton Coal and Coke Co., Cannelton, WV (coal carts)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- Cannelton Coal and Coke Co., Cannelton, WV (shows rail line)
ca. 1958
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- Cannelton Coal and Coke Co., Cannelton, WV (landscape/buildings)
1925
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- Cannelton Coal and Coke Co., Cannelton, WV (store interior)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- Cannelton Coal and Coke Co., Lady Dunn Mines, Cannelton, WV (night force)
1956
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- Club House, Cannelton Coal and Coke Co., Cannelton, WV
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County -- Cunard, WV (group portrait of miners)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Fayette
County --
Lee's Tree Tavern (building and landscape, sign for Sewell Mountain)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Fayette
County -- Eastern Gas and Fuel, Page, WV
1952
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Fayette
County -- Eastern Gas and Fuel, Page, WV (day force)
1952
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Fayette
County -- Kanawha Falls, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Fayette
County -- Longacre, WV (group portrait of miners)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Fayette
County -- Maple Lane Farms, Inc., Oak Hill, WV
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Fayette
County -- McKendree Hospital (group portrait)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Fayette
County -- McKendree Hospital (grounds)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Fayette
County -- Standard Fire Creek Coal Co., Beelick Knob, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Fayette
County -- Summerlee, WV (day force)
1955
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Fayette
County -- Summerlee, WV (night force)
1946
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Thurmond, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Thurmond, WV (landscape)
April 1920
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Turkey Knob, WV (group portrait)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Turkey Knob, WV (group portrait)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Turkey Knob, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Whipple, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Ames Height (houses)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Medo Fuel Co., Mine No. 2
1956
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Oakwood Mine, Oakwood, WV (night force)
1955
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Oakwood Mine, Oakwood, WV (officials)
1947 July 28
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Fayette
County -- Oakwood, WV (night force)
1944 July 28
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Beckley, WV (landscape)
1949 April 1
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Black Knight Country Club (group portrait)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Home of The Black Knight Club (building)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Richmond Cleaners and Laundry, Beckley, WV (interior)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Pinecrest Sanitarium, Beckley, WV
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Blue Jay Lumber Co., Blue Jay, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Blue Jay Lumber Co., Blue Jay, WV (landscape, color; includes copy of note found on back of original frame)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Bradley, WV (landscape)
1953
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Casaloma, WV (group of men posed in front of a building)
1930
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Cranberry, WV (playground and houses, New River Co. Cranberry Store)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- East Gulf, WV
1952
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- East Gulf, WV (landscape)
1952
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Winding Gulf, Collieries Mine, No. 4, East Gulf, WV (day force)
1951
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Raleigh
County -- Winding Gulf, Collieries Mine, No. 4, East Gulf, WV (night force)
1951
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- Eccles, WV (shadow of Ribble and camera)
1956
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- Grandview, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- Gulf Smokeless Coal Co., Tams, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- Gulf Smokeless Coal Co., Tams, WV (night force)
1951
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- Helen WV Junior High School
April 1947
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- Helen, WV (landscape, city)
1947
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- Mine #9 (night force), Helen, WV
April 1947
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- Lillybrook, WV (day force)
1951
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- McAlpin Coal Co. (group portrait)
1930 October 30
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- McAlpin Coal Co., McAlpin, WV (day force)
1947
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- McAlpin, WV (day force)
1955
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Raleigh
County -- McAlpin, WV (night force)
1955
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Raleigh
County -- Oswald, WV (group portrait)
1942 July 16
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Raleigh
County -- Oswald, WV (night crew)
1942 July 21
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Raleigh
County -- Oswald, WV (night force)
June 1949
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Raleigh
County -- C&O Line "down hollow" in Oswald, WV (landscape)
1942
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Raleigh
County -- Price Hill, WV (group portrait)
1931
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Raleigh
County -- Raleigh, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Raleigh
County -- Slabfork Coal Co. (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Raleigh
County -- Skelton, WV (night force)
1946
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Raleigh
County -- City of Sophia, WV
September 1949
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Raleigh
County -- Free Will Baptist Church, Sunday School, Sophia, WV
1944 June 11
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Raleigh
County -- Sterling Smokeless Coal Co., Whitby, WV (night force)
1951
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Raleigh
County -- Stotesbury, WV (night force)
1955
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Greenbrier
County -- Acme Limestone Co., Fort Spring, WV (not group portrait)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Greenbrier
County -- East Rainelle, WV (landscape)
1950
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Greenbrier
County -- Imperial Smokeless Coal Co., Mine No. 3, Quinwood, WV (night force)
1950
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Greenbrier
County -- Imperial Smokeless Coal Co., Quinwood, WV
July 1921
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Greenbrier
County -- Johnstown Coal and Coke Co., Mine 1, Crichton, WV (night force)
1950
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Greenbrier
County -- Leckie Smokeless Coal Co., Anjean, WV
1951
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Greenbrier
County -- Raine Lumber and Coal Co., Duo, WV
1951
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Kanawha
County -- Carbon Fuel Company, Carbon, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Nicholas
County -- Johnstown Coal and Coke Co., Crichton #4 Mine, Panther Gulch, WV (night force)
1950
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Nicholas
County -- Johnstown Coal and Coke Co., Crichton #4 Mine, Panther Gulch, WV (not group portrait)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Nicholas
County -- Mount Hope Coal Co., Mount Hope, WV, Mineson Bond/Mies on Bando, Holcomb, Nicholas Co., WV
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Nicholas
County -- Richwood Sewell Coal Co., Summersville, WV (night force)
1957
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Nicholas
County -- Richwood, WV (landscape)
1957–1958
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Summers
County -- Mountain State Tavern, Located on Greenbrier River, just out of city limits of Hinton, WV on RFD #3
ca. 1950
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Wyoming
County -- Alpoca, WV (night force)
1955
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Wyoming
County -- Itmann, WV (day force)
1956
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Wyoming
County -- Kopperston, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Wyoming
County -- Machine Shop Crew, Henry (?), Elmore, WV
1952
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Wyoming
County -- Mullens, WV (landscape)
1949 September 20
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Wyoming
County -- Mullens, WV (not group portrait)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Wyoming
County -- Stephenson, WV (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Wyoming
County -- Wyco, WV (night force)
1947
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Unknown
County -- Greer Railroad (photographer Garner)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Unknown
County -- Lillydale Grocery and Houses (landscape)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Unknown
County -- Sink's Tourist Camp (gas station)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Unknown
County -- Unidentified (group portrait)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Unknown
County -- Unidentified (men with cars)
undated
Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Unknown
County -- Unidentified (mining town)
undated
Mixed Materials Unboxed Folder: 11
Fayette
County -- Lookout Miners (Blume Mine), New River Export Smokeless Coal, Lookout, WV (group portrait of miners and men on horseback)
undated
Mixed Materials Unboxed Folder: 11
Fayette
County -- Oakwood Mine, Oakwood, WV (day force)
1955
Mixed Materials Unboxed Folder: 11
Raleigh
County -- Price Hill, WV (landscape)
1931 March 18
Mixed Materials Unboxed Folder: 11
Kanawha
County -- Valley Camp #8, Local 1054 (day force)
1956
Mixed Materials Unboxed Folder: 11
Nicholas
County -- Sewell Coal Co., Mine #5, Nettie, WV (day force)
1957
Mixed Materials Unboxed Folder: 11
Morgantown & Preston
Counties -- Morgantown and Kingwood Railroad (2 copies, different views of same scene)
undated
Mixed Materials Unboxed Folder: 11
Unknown
County -- North American Mines (damaged)
undated