Detonated Collection

A large mine being detonated in French territory during World War One (b / w photo)
STC429799 A large mine being detonated in French territory during World War One (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; English

To shatter the ice that has invaded the Loire, in France, and threaten to collapse... (colour litho)
2783864 To shatter the ice that has invaded the Loire, in France, and threaten to collapse... (colour litho) by Beltrame, Achille (1871-1945); Private Collection; (add.info)

Detonation of a mine (b / w photo)
NAM429766 Detonation of a mine (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (20th century); National Army Museum, London; (add.info)

Fire, Reinier Nooms, 1651 - 1652

ULIVIs F-RAYS
Signor Ulivis F-Rays will make it possible for explosives to be detonated by remote control : push-button warfare becomes a freseeable possibility Date: 1914

Manchester Ship Canal - The dramatic opening of a new dock
The dramatic opening of a new dock on the Manchester Ship Canal. A charge is detonated to break a temporary levee across the entrance to the new dock

French Laying Mines
French sappers laying mines, tunneling towards the enemy lines where they will plant mines which when detonated should destroy the enemys defences

Mining Messines Ridge
Royal Engineers mine the Messines Ridge under German lines, and place explosives, which when detonated on 7 June 1917, assist the British in taking Ypres

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Amidst the chaos of World War One, a large mine is detonated in French territory, shattering the ice that had invaded the Loire River and threatening to collapse the peaceful waters (black and white photo). This destructive act was part of the brutal trench warfare that defined the era. Fast forward to the Manchester Ship Canal's dramatic opening in the 1890s, where a different kind of explosion took place as a new dock was unveiled (color lithograph). In the midst of these contrasting scenes, the art of mining continued to evolve. From the early days of Reinier Nooms' "Fire" (1651-1652, black and white photo), to the strategic laying of mines on the Messines Ridge during World War One, the power of explosives has shaped our history in profound ways.