The steel framework structure at the top of a mine shaft that supports hoisting equipment and guides the movement of cages or buckets.
Compound of 'head' (top) and 'frame' (structure); technical mining terminology that standardized around the 19th century as mines became deeper and more mechanized.
Headframes are architectural marvels of the Industrial Revolution—some are 100+ feet tall and handle enormous weight, and many Victorian-era ones are now preserved as heritage structures!
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