Cornish Tin Mines 1971

Editor: This is "Cornish Tin Mines" by John Humphrey Spender. The ruined structures are striking. What story do you think this piece tells? Curator: It speaks to the heavy labor involved in tin mining, the materiality of the mines themselves, and their eventual obsolescence. Spender captures the cycle of resource extraction and the impact on both the landscape and the workers. Editor: That's a good point, the way the mines are in ruins speaks to consumption. Thank you. Curator: Absolutely. Consider how industrial progress often leaves behind a trail of material and social consequences.