Title:

Church and contiguous buildings of the Ex-Mission of Santa Barbara. Now a college of the Order of San Francisco. Autograph Fr. Jose Ma. de Jesus Gonzalez Rubio [rubric]. Santa Barbara (1842 & 1865). While engaged in tracing the first outlines of this interesting structure, Sunday, May 7th, 1865, Mass just over, we obtained, through favor, the autograph of Father Gonzalez, the worthy President of the College, sollicited [sic] and kindly granted, as a memento of this, our second visit, after an interval of twinty-three years! To preserve in the proper place so welcome a present, we committed the pardonable indescretion of finishing up our drawing on the very paper containing the autograph, as a means to gratify those of our friends who like ourselves, from personal acquaintance with Father Gonzalez, the last survivor of the missionaries, appreciate his excellent qualities. Thus we secured what will become a relic of one whose name, blessed during lifetime by the many hearts he comforted, will after his death stand as the last pillar of the missionary work in California so honorably preceded by Fathers Junipero Serra, Geronimo Boscana, Sanchez, Peiri, Salvidea, Duran, and other distinguished ornaments of the order of San Frnacisco. (Reference to text of the California Collection. E.V.) (cf. Vischer Pictorial p. 106, Vischer Missions no. 20) -- Date: 1842/1865 -- Size: 16.8 x 25.3 cm.

Contributing Institution:

UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library