California lettersheet collection, circa 1850-1870

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Summary

Creators:
Nahl, Charles Christian, 1818-1878, Britton & Rey, and Pollard & Britton's Lith.
Abstract:
Consists of California lettersheets, mostly pictorial, created approximately between the years 1850 and 1870, with the bulk dating from the 1850s. Pictorial lettersheets are illustrated with lithographs or wood engravings depicting California and Western themes. Intended to be used as stationery during and after the California Gold Rush, these lettersheets served as a kind of reportage, depicting important events and popular stories of the day. Common illustrated topics and scenes include: murders and executions; the San Francisco Vigilance Committee; natural disasters, especially fires (San Francisco) and floods (Sacramento); the Gold Rush; mining life (from perspectives sentimental, cautionary, and comic); festivals, holidays, and parades; buildings and street scenes; and views of San Francisco, Sacramento, and towns throughout the state's mining region.
Extent:
2.75 Linear Feet (4 flat boxes)
Language:
Collection materials are in English, with a few lettersheets in German and French.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item] California lettersheet collection (Kemble Spec Col 09). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of California lettersheets, mostly pictorial, created approximately between the years 1850 and 1870, with the bulk dating from the 1850s. Pictorial lettersheets are illustrated with lithographs or wood engravings depicting California and Western themes. Intended to be used as stationery during and after the California Gold Rush, these lettersheets served as a kind of reportage, depicting important events and popular stories of the day. Common illustrated topics and scenes include: murders and executions; the San Francisco Vigilance Committee; natural disasters, especially fires (San Francisco) and floods (Sacramento); the Gold Rush; mining life (from perspectives sentimental, cautionary, and comic); festivals, holidays, and parades; buildings and street scenes; and views of San Francisco, Sacramento, and towns throughout the state's mining region.

The lettersheets in the collection were created by numerous California artists, engravers, lithographers, and publishers, notably: Charles Nahl; Britton & Rey and Pollard & Britton (San Francisco); Quirot & Co., Justh & Co., and Justh, Quirot & Co. (San Francisco); James M. Hutchings and Hutchings & Rosenfield (San Francisco); Anthony & Baker (San Francisco); Kuchel & Dresel (San Francisco); Cooke & LeCount (San Francisco); Charles P. Kimball and the Noisy Carrier's Publishing Hall (San Francisco); and Barber & Baker (Sacramento).

Acquisition information:
The California lettersheet collection is an artificial collection composed of lettersheets given to the California Historical Society by various donors. Collection transferred to Stanford University Libraries in 2025.
Processing information:

Lettersheets were removed from the California Historical Society's Fine Arts Collection, integrated into the Kemble Collection on Western Printing and Publishing, and processed by Marie Silva in 2013.

Lettersheets that had been separated from manuscript collections were reunited with their original collections, whenever possible. Lettersheets on which manuscript letters were written were also removed from the California Lettersheet Collection and cataloged as manuscripts. These manuscripts are listed in the finding aid for the California Lettersheet Collection, with separated materials notes indicating their manuscript call numbers.

Arrangement:

Arranged in two series: 1) Pictorial lettersheets; and 2) Non-pictorial lettersheets. Pictorial lettersheets are arranged in alphabetical order by Baird catalogue number, based on Joseph Baird's California pictorial letter sheets, 1849-1869 (San Francisco: David Magee, 1967). Descriptive conventions have been adapted from the same book.

Physical location:
Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged three business days in advance. For more information on paging collections, see the department's website: https://library.stanford.edu/libraries/special-collections.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for research. Special Collections and University Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged three business days in advance. For more information on paging collections, see the department's website: https://library.stanford.edu/libraries/special-collections.

Terms of access:

Material in the public domain does not have any restrictions on use.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item] California lettersheet collection (Kemble Spec Col 09). California Historical Society Collection at Stanford, Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California.

Location of this collection:
Department of Special Collections, Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6004, US
Contact:
(650) 725-1022
chscollection@stanford.edu
Website