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Charles B. Gifford began drawing views of California in 1860. His earliest views include the Mission Dolores, Vallejo and Santa Clara. Most of his work was published by Louis Nagel.
A lithographer and landscape artist, Charles Gifford was born in 1830 in Massachusetts and appears to have moved to California about 1855 with his wife, Josepha of Nicaragua. After settling in San Francisco, he worked with various lithographers such as the Nahi brothers and Grafton Tyler Brown, before becoming a partner of William V. Gray in a lithography firm.
In 1862, Gifford's 5 sheet view of San Francisco from Russian Hill is perhaps his most famous work. Over teh couse of his career, Reps credits him with 15 views, including 2 of Washington Cities in 1862 and 13 of California cities (1860-77).