Sifting Collection

Cockle gathering at Penclawdd 1857
Eight miles from Swansea on the Loughor river, women gathering and preparing cockles for market. Date: 1857

An engraving depicting the grinding and sifting rice, 19th century
5310702 An engraving depicting the grinding and sifting rice, 19th century; (add.info.: Date: 1813); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Chinese men sifting and winnowing rice with sieves, Qing Dynasty. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Andrea Freschi
FLO4590504 Chinese men sifting and winnowing rice with sieves, Qing Dynasty. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Andrea Freschi after Antoine Cardon from Henri-Leonard-Jean-Baptiste Bertin

The sifting of rice
3732472 The sifting of rice; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the sifting of rice in China. Dated 19th Century.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

The herald's mid-summer number. Sunday June 23rd 1895. c1895. Creator: Charles Hubbard Wright
The herald's mid-summer number. Sunday June 23rd 1895. c1895

Sifting basket-southern Miwok, c1924. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Sifting basket-southern Miwok, c1924. Miwok woman holding sifting basket, California

Coal mining pit boys and girls
The girls and boys who worked in the mines. Children covered in coal who had been working in the mines all day. The maidens (girls) who would sift the coal

The sieve (chromolitho)
977659 The sieve (chromolitho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The sieve. French educational card, late 19th/early 20th century.); © Look and Learn

Winnowing of sifting tea to remove dust and debris, Japan. Vintage 19th century photograph

Prospectors using a sluice during the California Gold Rush of 1849 (colour litho)
PNP245888 Prospectors using a sluice during the California Gold Rush of 1849 (colour litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark Western Americana; American

Prospectors panning for gold during the Californian Gold Rush of 1849 (coloured engraving
PNP245895 Prospectors panning for gold during the Californian Gold Rush of 1849 (coloured engraving) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark Western Americana; American

Rice production (engraving)
6001087 Rice production (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Rice production. Illustration for The Saturday Magazine, 24 August 1833.); © Look and Learn

Sifting tea, China. Date: 1851

Sifting tea by hand, China. Date: 1851

Sifting the Dust (engraving)
729208 Sifting the Dust (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sifting the Dust. Illustration initialled H J from a series named The Brickyards of England)

Chinese men winnowing rice with sieves, Qing Dynasty
Chinese men sifting and winnowing rice with sieves, Qing Dynasty. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Andrea Freschi after Antoine Cardon from Henri-Leonard-Jean-Baptiste Bertin

Sifting Wheat (colour litho)
2813515 Sifting Wheat (colour litho) by Clark, James (1858-1943) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sifting Wheat. Illustration for Everyday Life in the Holy Land by James Neil (SPCK)

Rice Plant - sifting the husks and grinding the rice
Chinese sifting from the husks and grinding the rice, some of the end product being bought back to England for rice-flour and added to wheat to make bread. Date: 1833

The Manufacture of Plumbago in Ceylon (litho)
1038705 The Manufacture of Plumbago in Ceylon (litho) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Manufacture of Plumbago in Ceylon)

Rice production (engraving)
6001083 Rice production (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Rice production. Illustration for The Saturday Magazine, 24 August 1833.); © Look and Learn

Mining with water wheel, from 1550 edition of Cosmographia
5668989 Mining with water wheel, from 1550 edition of Cosmographia by Sebastian Munster (woodcut) by Munster, Sebastian (1589-1552); Photo eAF Fotografie; German, out of copyright

American gold prospector using a sluice box (hand-coloured photo)
PNP246278 American gold prospector using a sluice box (hand-coloured photo) by American Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark Western Americana; American, out of copyright

Japanese Tea Cultivation (engraving)
1589184 Japanese Tea Cultivation (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Japanese Tea Cultivation. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 1 August 1874)

Penclawdd and its Cockle-Gatherers (engraving)
2785776 Penclawdd and its Cockle-Gatherers (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Penclawdd and its Cockle-Gatherers)

A prospectors rocker used for separating gold from river silt (wood)
PNP245891 A prospectors rocker used for separating gold from river silt (wood) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

A Cornish Pilchard Factory (engraving)
1592088 A Cornish Pilchard Factory (engraving) by Loudan, William Mouat (1868-1925); Private Collection; (add.info.: A Cornish Pilchard Factory)

Shrimping at the Mouth of the Thames (engraving)
1107452 Shrimping at the Mouth of the Thames (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Shrimping at the Mouth of the Thames)

Woman In A Apron Over A Cotton Print Dress Sifting Flour In A Bowl Between A Mixer & A
UNITED STATES - Circa 1940s: Woman In A Apron Over A Cotton Print Dress Sifting Flour In A Bowl Between A Mixer & A Quart Of Milk Baking Pastry Housewife Baking Cooking Kitchen

EyeUbiquitous_20100208
Food, Baking, Flour, White plain flour being siifted through a sieve against a black background

EyeUbiquitous_20100207
Food, Cooking, Baking, White plain flour being siifted through a sieve against a black background

EyeUbiquitous_20100209
Food, Baking, Flour, White plain flour being siifted through a sieve against a black background

EyeUbiquitous_20100210
Food, Baking, Flour, White plain flour being siifted through a sieve against a black background

Shrimp fisherman, Flookborough, Morecambe Bay - 3
Flookborough shrimp fisherman Bob Dickinson riddles sand from freshly caught cockles he has just dug from the sand in Morecambe Bay, Cumbria Date: 1993

Shrimp fisherman, Flookborough, Morecambe Bay - 4
Flookborough shrimp fisherman Bob Dickinson riddles sand from freshly caught cockles he has just dug from the sand in Morecambe Bay, Cumbria Date: 1993

Japanese tea production, 1874. Preparations before sowing the tea seed; manuring the plant; planting out in the third year; picking the leaves; sifting the leaf; separating the leaves after firing;

Barefoot girls sifting dust in a brickyard, 1871. The dust was coal or a mixture of iron and coal dust. It was estimated that at this time there were between 20, 000 and 30

Excavations Tell el-Nasbeh Mizpah Sifting potsherds
Excavations at Tell el-Nasbeh, Mizpah? Sifting potsherds out of the debris. 1926, West Bank, Tall al-Nasbeh

Peasant woman sifting grain 1898
Peasant woman sifting the grain. 1898

She gathers the fairest flower (Il piubel fior ne coglie)
She gathers the fairest flower (Il piu bel fior ne coglie), a group of six putti working together in an arched workshop, 1740-59

Woman sifting grain, Vaishali, Bihar state, India, Asia

Belfast City Tramways, Sand Drying and Sifting Machine - a view of a machine for drying and sifting sand in large quantities indoors. (Location: Northern Ireland: County Antrim: Belfast)

Japan - A Farmhouse : sifting and threshing rice
Lantern slide of A Farmhouse : sifting and threshing rice.. Part of Box 158 Japan, part of Boswell Collection, slide no. 11 Date: circa 1890s

Man winnowing corn, Egypt. Date: circa 1870

Man and boy sifting tea, China. Date: circa 1890

Jewellery Market Stall
Women sifting through trays of jewellery on a stall at Wentworth Street Market, London. Date: 1950s

Ore procession facility

19th Century Mine
Vintage engraving of men sifting ore at a 19th Century Mine

The Winnowers, 1866 (pencil and crayon on paper)
XIR898716 The Winnowers, 1866 (pencil and crayon on paper) by Herbert or Hebert, Antoine Auguste Ernest (1817-1908); Musee Hebert, Paris, France; (add.info.: Vanneuses); French, out of copyright

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"Sifting: Unveiling the Hidden Treasures of History" Step back in time to witness the art of sifting, a timeless practice that reveals hidden gems and separates the valuable from the ordinary. From cockle gathering at Penclawdd in 1857 to coal mining pit boys and girls, this captivating process has left its mark on various aspects of human life. The sieve, depicted in a vibrant chromolitho, stands as an emblem of sifting's significance. Its intricate design symbolizes meticulousness and precision employed while winnowing tea in Japan or prospectors using a sluice during California's Gold Rush. These vivid images transport us to eras where dreams were chased amidst swirling dust particles. Intriguingly, even rice production witnessed the magic of sifting. Engravings capture Chinese men skillfully winnowing rice with sieves during Qing Dynasty or meticulously hand-sifting tea leaves in China. The delicate act not only removed debris but also showcased humanity's dedication towards perfection. As we delve deeper into history's tapestry, we encounter scenes like prospectors panning for gold during California's Gold Rush or farmers sifting wheat through color lithos. Each image tells tales of determination and resilience; individuals seeking fortunes or sustenance by separating precious grains from unwanted impurities. Beyond its practical applications, "Sifting" transcends mere physicality; it becomes symbolic too. An engraving titled "Sifting the Dust" captures moments when people sifted through their lives' challenges searching for hope amidst adversity—a testament to our indomitable spirit throughout time. Today, as we marvel at technological advancements that have streamlined these processes, let us not forget the humble beginnings rooted in ancient traditions. Sifters have played an essential role across cultures—unearthing treasures buried beneath layers of earth or refining commodities with unwavering patience.