Julia Fine

This dissertation examines the entangled geography of mineral extraction from the 1870s through the onset of the “Great Acceleration” in the mid-20th century. Focusing on sulfur, a key input to Britain’s Industrial Revolution and the intensive agriculture emblematic of Britain’s “Diet for a Large Planet,” this project examines the corporate records of British pyrite mining firms, including Rio Tinto, one of the world's largest mining companies today. Bringing these archives together with state and local records, this project analyzes the corporate technologies used to manage extraction, environmental degradation, and labor. Tracing the corporation from the pithead to the boardroom, and between the mine and the field, this project provides new insights into the entanglement of agriculture and industry and the relationships among multinationals, empires, and states at the heart of our current ecological crisis.