Symetain tin mine, near Kalima, Congo (Democratic Republic)

"Tin in deposits of cassiterite is found primarly along the southern side of the Lualaba River in northern Shaba (now Katanga) and in Kivu east of Bukavu. Although production has declined, interest in tin mining remains strong. A survey of Zaire's mineral reserves conducted by the Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres (BRGM) under a 1969 agreement with the government revealed tin reserves estimated at 600,000 metric tons." [F. Scott Bobb, 1999: Historical Dictionary of Democratic Republic of Congo, The Scarecrow Press, Inc.]. During his trip to Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Elisofon visited a tin mine at Kimbiambia near Kalima in the Maniema district. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for American Broadcasting Company and traveled to Africa from early December 1966 to early February 1967.