Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography

Nearly two centuries of American photographs bear witness to the people and places that power our lives.​

Since their inception, photographs have documented mining, drilling, and fracking—industries that often happen underground or out of sight. They reveal how we extract resources from the earth and the impact on people and our planet.

Beneath the Surface explores how photographers in the United States have depicted resource extraction for 185 years. Some 150 photographs highlight the variety of approaches and motivations behind their creation, including works by contemporary artists.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website