Watkins had photographed and documented the beauty of Yosemite. But he also used his photography for promotional purposes. This 1863 stereoview shows miners in the New Almaden quicksilver mine, located 12 miles from San Jose. The mine had recently changed hands and Watkins was promoting the new owners—the Quicksilver Mining Company. Here, the miners were mining for cinnabar in order to obtain mercury, which was used to separate gold from ore. The Gold Rush was successful because of the mercury supplied by the New Almaden mine. This mine was the oldest and most productive mine in the United States. There are chunks of cinnabar in front of the men in the ore car. It is thought that the men on the left were the new owners of the mine and the men on the right were surveyors.