This collection of photographs and negatives was primarily taken by George Atwell Richardson throughout the course of his career while working for Midvale Steel and Ordnance Company and the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The images document views of steel plants and operations, as well as steel products mostly taken between 1913 and 1929. The collection has been organized into five series: Midvale Steel and Ordnance Company; Cambrian Steel Company; Bethlehem Steel Corporation; Exhibits, and Other steel and coal companies.

Midvale Steel and Ordnance Company series has been organized into three subseries by plant: Nicetown, Coatesville, and Rosedale.

The Nicetown Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the main plant for Midvale. The images show interiors of shop #5, casting plant and main office exteriors, staff, field day events, and ingots. There are also articles related to steel production, several of which were written by Richardson and include the associated photographs and correspondence related to publishing. Images date from the 1890s through 1923.

Coatesville Works subseries contains interior and exterior plant views, mills, offices, open hearth plant, machine shop, viaduct mill and furnaces, and an employee picnic. These images date from 1918 to 1927.

Rosedale Coal and Coke Works was originally slated to be constructed by Cambria Steel Company, was completed as a Midvale plant in 1922. The photographs date from 1922 and show mining machines at Elk River, exterior plant views, views of the rock dump and washery, and the by-product plant.

Cambrian Steel Company series shows images of the lower works blast furnaces, plant views, manufacturing, sintering plant, and car shops. There are also images of the Franklin By-Product Plant interiors and exteriors and the Rolling Mill Mine, which was a drift portal coal mine. There are photographs of the company town of Slicksville, Pennsylvania which shows mine workers housing, company stores and offices, and an article about the town by Richarson. There are also images of the Wheel Plant showing the pump room, machinery, wheel mill and exterior views of the plant and the Wire Plant showing the shipping floor, machinery, production processes, and bessemer convertors. The materials in this series date from the 1870s to 1926, with outliers from 1856 and 1929.

Bethlehem Steel Corporation series has been organized into three subseries: Bethlehem Steel division; Bethlehem Ship Corporation division; and Bethlehem Mining Corporation division.

Bethlehem Steel division primarily documents the Sparrows Point plant and the Steelton Plant. There are some images from the Lackawanna, Lebanon, and McClintic-Marshall plants. These images are taken between 1922 and 1929. There are also photographs that show various uses of steel including the Delaware River Bridge construction in 1924 and Mayori iron in 1929.

Bethlehem Ship Corporation division primarily documents the Harlan plant with some additional materials related to Baltimore Dry Dock Works; Boston Plant, SImpson & Co. Dock; Charles Ward Engineering Works; and Hog Island shipyard. These images date from 1921 to 1926.

Bethlehem Mining Corporation division is primarily photographs of the Preston division showing mine #27 track work and village views. There are also photographs from the Elmsworth and Marion divisions. These materials date from 1924 and 1929.

Exhibits series consists of photographs of displays of products of the Midvale Steel and Ordnance Company and of the Bethlehem Steel Company at various trade fairs and expositions between 1919 and 1925. The photographs appear mostly in two albums compiled by Richardson. Annual exhibitions shown include the American Railway Association and the American Electric Railway Association, Atlantic City; the National Tractor Show, various locations; the American Mining Congress, various locations; and several other smaller shows. There are also some photographs from Metlab Co. plant and products exhibitions from the 1930s and from around 1955 and an employee identification portrait of Richardson from around 1941.

Other steel and coal companies includes the Jamison Coal and Coke Company, the Pennsylvania Iron Mining Company, the Hanna Company, De Bardeleben Coal Corporation, Eastern Manufacturing Co., Fayro Machine Co., Miller Lock Co., Oak Hill Coal Co., Link Belt Engineering Co., and the Hudson Coal Co.