Saltpeter Collection

Paris Salpetriere
The manufactory of saltpeter (potassium nitrate) used to make gunpowder : in the 19th century it will become one of Pariss leading hospitals, associated with Charcot etc

Chile, Officina Pedro de Valdivia, former saltpeter mining ghost town, old shoes

Method of refining saltpeter for making gunpowder
Method of refining saltpeter (potassium nitrate) for making gunpowder. circa 18th century

Refining saltpetre, illustration from the Encyclopedia by Denis Diderot
XIR156859 Refining saltpetre, illustration from the Encyclopedia by Denis Diderot (1713-84) (engraving) by French School, (18th century); Private Collection; French, out of copyright

Loading Chile saltpeter in Pascua (Chile). 1891

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Step back in time to the desolate landscape of Officina Pedro de Valdivia, a once bustling saltpeter mining town in Chile. Here, the ghostly remains of deserted buildings stand as silent witnesses to the past. The town church, now abandoned, once served as a beacon of hope for the miners and their families. Saltpeter, or nitrate, was the treasure that drew people to this inhospitable land. Paris Salpetriere, the world's largest saltpeter factory, was a major supplier of this essential ingredient for gunpowder. The method of refining saltpeter involved a laborious process, as depicted in this illustration from Denis Diderot's Encyclopedia. The miners, often wearing old and worn shoes, toiled in the harsh desert conditions, extracting the valuable resource from the earth. The saltpeter was then loaded onto ships bound for Pascua, Chile, to be transformed into gunpowder, fueling wars and revolutions around the world. Today, the haunting beauty of Officina Pedro de Valdivia serves as a reminder of the human spirit's relentless pursuit of resources and the indelible mark we leave behind.