The photograph shows the employees of the Portland-Monson Slate Company gathered in front of a mill. The various sizes of slate in the foreground are remains from the mill operations which turned the mined slate into roofing shingles, sinks, telephone circuit boards, refrigerator boxes and school slate boards.

On the left is a railroad cart which was used to transport the larger, and very heavy, pieces of slate from the edge of the quarry to the mill. Shown on the cart and also in the front row of men are slate splitters, the tools used to create shingles. On the right are two men on bicycles in front of the "box", which was used to bring the men and slate down into and up from the quarry.