Czechoslovakia
The sulfur miners of Sicily were not the only miners to work naked. These are coal miners in the FrantiĊĦek (Francis) mine in Czechoslovakia in 1928. The mine was over 1800 feet deep, and the air temperature reached 42 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit), with the rocks up to 55 degrees C (131 degrees F). The guy above is working on the wooden beams.
Most wore a leather apron to protect their private parts, but it's said the toughest guys dispensed with even the apron.
This and the previous photos were taken in 1928 by Sergej Protopopov.
Workers clearing a break in the mine shaft in 1937. Photographer unknown. The mine finally closed in 1999.
