Comstock History Center Museum opens mining photo exhibit

The Comstock History Center Museum is presenting a new historic photo exhibit, “Vanishing Icons: A Look Back at Comstock Mines and Mills.”

In 1980, a documentation project was undertaken on the Comstock to record the remains of historic mine and mill sites originally built throughout Virginia City, Gold Hill, Silver City and Dayton during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The exhibit features 16 large-format, black & white photographs from this project.

As part of the Historic American Engineering Record, the project was sponsored by the United States Department of Interior and conducted by the National Park Service. It involved surveying, photographing and creating a written description for the structural remains of each mine or mill, including historical, operational and architectural data.

Until now, these images have never been publicly displayed.

“This is a fascinating and historically significant exhibit,” said Rebecca Palmer, state historic preservation officer.

The Comstock History Center Museum is at 20 N. E St. in Virginia City, two blocks downhill from the Bucket of Blood Saloon. Admission is free, and the museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

The Comstock Historic District Commission’s goal is to encourage preservation of the Comstock Historic District, one of the nation’s largest and most significant landmarks. The Comstock Historic District is also the second most visited historic sites in the state, second to Hoover Dam. The commission issues construction permits, educates the public, and promotes special programs. The commission gives guidance to federal agencies working within the district, and provides public education focusing on historic resources.