Snapshots of the Past

Humbolt [sic] River Valley – Vintage Print

Humbolt [sic] River Valley, 1859 — historic drawing
Humbolt [sic] River Valley, 1859. Historic drawing from the California collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This rare historic drawing captures Humbolt [sic] River Valley in remarkable detail. It comes from the collections of the Library of Congress, scanned from the original and carefully restored.

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Humbolt [sic] River Valley

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The Humboldt River crosses northern Nevada as a narrow line of water through an otherwise arid basin, and by 1859 it had long served as a guide for overland travelers. Emigrants and gold-seekers bound for California followed its course for hundreds of miles before facing the desert beyond its sink. This small sheet, worked in graphite, ink, and crayon and signed "DAJ 1859," records that terrain during the busiest years of the trail. Its modest size and mixed media suggest a sketch made on the spot, a working record of the land rather than a finished view.

Created / published1859
Medium1 drawing on paper : graphite, ink, and crayon ; 17.8 x 25.2 cm. (sheet).
GenreDrawings American 1850-1860.
NotesSigned lower right: DAJ 1859. Purchase, Ed Cox Americana fund (Madison Council), 2000 (DLC/PP-2001:050.13)
SubjectsGold rushes--California--1850-1860. Mountains--Nevada--1850-1860. Rivers--Nevada--1850-1860. Trails & paths--Nevada--1850-1860.United States--Nevada--Humboldt River
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan4,531 × 3,650 px · prints to 15 × 12 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-222771

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