John Mitchell served as President of the United Mine Workers from 1899-1908, Vice President of the American Federation of Labor from 1898 to 1914, and he represented the UMW at the AFL conventions from 1898 to 1919.

The photographs in this newly digitized collection, 1898-1924, include many portraits of historically significant figures, such as Clarence Darrow and Theodore Roosevelt, and record important events like the 1902 Anthracite Coal Strike. There are also photographs illustrating mining techniques of the time, featuring the Beech Flats Coal Company and the Kehota Mining Company.