-These photos are a stop-gap look at a point in time,
a chance to see what the landscape looked like six or 10 years
ago.”
*Bill
DuBois
From the pilot’s seat
of his 44-year-old Cessna 180 plane, F.E. Bill DuBois has been
taking photos of every precious metal mine in Nevada for 24 years.
What began as a tool for observing how other mine managers lay out
mine property has grown into a collection of 3,000 photos – a
visual history of Nevada mining. DuBois is aware of the irony of
his place behind the lens. “(Mining) has been my profession for
nearly half of a century,” he says, “but on the other hand,
everyone hates to see the land scarred.” Every American uses an
average of 40,000 pounds of minerals per year; DuBois says it’s
important for people to understand where this resource originates.
“I try to show a little sliver of the horizon, behind the mine in
the forefront, so that you can see the big picture,” he says. An
exhibition of DuBois’ photographs will be held at California’s
Center for Land Use Interpretation continues through April 20. For
more information, write to the center at 9331 Venice Blvd., Culver
City, CA 90232, or call 310/839-5722.
*Rebecca
Clarren
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline The big picture.
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