Many gold miners used rockers (also called cradles) to remove gold from pay dirt. They shoveled the dirt and gravel into a tray at the top of the rocker, and they shook the rocker back and forth as they poured water on the tray. Finer pieces of gold and dirt washed through holes in the tray into the box beneath. Gold was caught in screens or riffles in the rocker and panned from the box below.
<p>This photo shows two claim owners or mining company officials watching as a miner operates a rocker to remove the gold. The photo was taken by B.B. Dobbs at Nome sometime between 1902 and 1908.
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<ul><li>Subjects (LCTGM): Gold miners; Gold mining; Gold rushes; Prospecting equipment &amp; supplies</li></ul>
<bdi><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Beverly_Bennett_Dobbs" class="extiw" title="w:en:Beverly Bennett Dobbs"><span title="American photographer">Beverly Bennett Dobbs</span></a>
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circa 1905 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1905-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/search">Museum of History and Industry</a>