Drawings of Indians and California scenery, circa 1851-1854.

Summary

Creators:

Brown, Henry B., fl. 1850-1859.

Abstract:

Includes images of mining camps, mining activities and local Native American peoples chiefly from areas around Sacramento, Marysville, Nevada City, Shasta City and Coloma.

Extent:

53 drawings and 26 hand-drawn copies after original drawings : b&w ; various sizes. 67 digital objects

Language:

Collection materials are in English and Spanish

Background

Scope and content:

The drawings are mainly by Henry B. Brown with a few by J.R. Bartlett. The collection includes some copy photos "by Merriam" of Brown's drawings. Subject matter includes images of mining camps, mining activities and local Native American peoples chiefly from areas around Sacramento, Marysville, Nevada City, Shasta City and Coloma.

Views of and relating to Indians show native peoples, including the Nisenan, of the Sacramento area doing various chores (mending nets, etc.), Simmon Peña Storms who served as an interpretor and Indian Agent near Grass Valley, stacks of acorns in Colusa County, Yuba [Uba] River Indians gambling, Chino Indians near Munroe's, a Chino village, etc. Other drawings depict Reddings Ranch near Mt. Shasta, Sierra Nevada views from Sacramento, Grass Valley scenes, mine diggings near Nevada City, Mt. Shasta and vicinity, etc.

Biographical / historical:

Henry B. Brown is believed to have been born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in January 1816. In the early 1840s, Brown worked as a portraitist, engraver, and illustrator. Brown arrived by ship in San Francisco in May 1851 and set up residence in the Post Office building where he began working for postmaster Jacob Bailey Moore. In late 1851, Brown left San Francisco to tour the California countryside, making illustrations of scenery and points of historical interest. Brown travelled through mining camps and settlements along the Yuba River east of Marysville, and in the vicinity of Grass Valley and Nevada City.

In 1852, John Russell Bartlett, Commissioner of the United States and Mexican Boundary Commission, was introduced to Brown by Jacob Bailey Moore. Bartlett commissioned Brown to gather information on native languages and create drawings and sketches of California scenery and the various Indian peoples and their activities. Throughout 1852, Brown travelled up the Sacramento River valley to Shasta City capturing images and local vocabularies for Bartlett.

In 1854, several of Brown's drawing were published in Bartlett's Personal Narrative of Explorations and Incidents in Texas, New Mexico, California, Sonora, and Chihuahua. From 1854 to 1859 Brown resided in Bermuda and in 1856 was appointed U.S. Consul for Bermuda. He resigned three years later and nothing was heard of him again.

Several 20th century biographical dictionaries of American artists conflate Henry B. Brown's identity with both New England artist Harrison B. Brown and escaped slave and abolitionist Henry Box Brown. The research of Dr. Thomas C. Blackburn in preparation of a study of Henry B. Brown and his California drawings has largely untangled this confusion, and is the basis of the preceding biographical sketch.

Acquisition information:

The Henry B. Brown drawings, along with a small amount of related correspondence, were received by The Bancroft Library with the papers of C. Hart Merriam in 1979. Merriam acquired the Brown material from an unknown source prior to 1966. Related Brown drawings were retained by Merriam family members at the time Merriam's papers were give to the library. In 2000 these drawings were acquired by the Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif.

Physical location:

Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.

Rules or conventions:

Guide prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Location of this collection:

UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US

Contact:

510-642-6481

bancref-library@berkeley.edu

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