|
||
|
|
|
|
This is a mounted albumen photograph of Sutter’s Mill, 1851, published in 1876 by A. Roman. The photograph reproduces a painting by Charles Christian Nahl (1818–1878), a prominent German-American artist known for his depictions of California’s Gold Rush era. The scene presents a reconstructed view of the mill along the American River, where James W. Marshall discovered gold on January 19, 1848, an event that triggered the California Gold Rush. The mill structure is prominently centered, with figures engaged in activities that evoke the early days of gold discovery. The surrounding landscape, rendered in Nahl’s detailed style, includes scattered buildings and rolling hills that contextualize the site within the broader Gold Rush setting.
This albumen photograph is mounted to original card stock, with printed descriptive text on the verso, presenting Captain Sutter’s Account of the First Discovery of Gold, published by the A. Roman Publishing Company, San Francisco. The verso includes a portrait of James Marshall, purportedly taken at the time of the discovery, alongside Sutter’s firsthand narrative of the discovery. Sutter recounts Marshall’s urgent visit to report finding gold flakes, leading to the realization that gold was present along the riverbanks and nearby ravines. The text also highlights early efforts to keep the discovery secret, which quickly failed when Native American laborers at the mill, recognizing the metal from prior experience in Mexican gold mines, spread the news. A wood-engraved vignette of Sutter’s Fort further ties the narrative to the early settlement history of California.
The A. Roman Publishing Company was active in San Francisco in the late 19th century, producing works related to California history and the Gold Rush, often repurposing visual material to capitalize on the state’s nostalgic fascination with its formative years. The choice to reproduce Nahl’s painting as a photograph aligns with the era’s popularization of historical imagery through photographic means, ensuring wider distribution.
![(California Redwoods - Photographs) In the Redwoods: Logging Industry In & Around Arcata, CA. [18 photographs]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/103821.jpg)
