Gezicht op Spring Valley Mine in Butte County, Californië before 1890

This lithograph of the Spring Valley Mine in Butte County, California, was created by Britton and Rey. The print is part of an illustrated report detailing mining operations across the state. The image is a record of the technology and infrastructure associated with the California Gold Rush. Lithographs like this one served a promotional function, attracting investors and laborers to the West. They shaped the perception of California as a land of opportunity, eliding the environmental destruction and displacement of indigenous populations caused by mining. The report itself is an institutional document, produced by the State Mineralogist, reflecting the government's role in promoting and regulating the mining industry. Understanding this image requires historical research, archival documents, and a critical awareness of the social and ecological costs of resource extraction.