This is a One of a Kind (OOAK) retirement honorarium booklet presented by the Anthracite Mine Inspectors of Pennsylvania to William R. Bottomley on his retirement in June 1945.

It is difficult to describe how beautiful a work of art this book is. It is a hand-made book bound in dark blue leather with gold tooling and lettering on the cover and inside edges. The covers are lined in silver silk moire cloth (watered silk). The pages are high quality paper that are laid in and bound in a silk ribbon. The lettering is all hand-written in stylized calligraphy and select pages are highly decorated in color and gold leaf illumination.

William R. Bottomley served as State Mine Inspector for nineteen years, from 1926 to 1945. The following is an excerpt from the text of the honorarium booklet:

"He was brough up in the anthracite coal fields and started as a breaker boy when he was twelve years old. Following his apprenticeship in the breaker, he went to the mines and was first employed as a doorboy. Later he worked as a driver and runner, bratticeman, timberman, company hand, laborer, and miner. Ambitious and full of energy he studied hard, burning the midnight oil to acquire an education. By sheer ability and perseverance he worked his way up the ladder of success, occupying various important official positions before his appointment as State Mine Inspector, effective December 1, 1926. His critical and sound judgement, clear understanding of the intricate problems and duties involving the safety, welfare and betterment of working conditions for the men in the mines earned for him the appreciation and respect of all connected with the industry. In addition to his manifold duties as State Mine Inspector, he found time in his younger days to take an active part in the field of music. He played in various bands and orchestras...."  It goes on and on.

In addition, Bottomley owned and operated the Bottomley Mine in La Salle County, Illinois from 1904 to 1917.

The booklet is wet signed by seven other State Mine Inspectors who made up the retirement committee for Bottomley, they include: James H. Munley, William J. Clements, Theodore L. Wackley, John H. Morgan, Theodore D. Rees, Henry R. Owens, and James Quigley (President).

This is a one of a kind memorabilia of Pennsylvania coal mining and a beautiful work of art.