Lettersheets (2 results)

By 1860 San Francisco had transformed from a rough Gold Rush settlement into the principal commercial hub of the Pacific coast, its harbor crowded with shipping and its economy driven by trade, finance, and the continued flow of gold. Illustrated lettersheets such as this served both as souvenirs and as a means of conveying the city?s scenery and economic growth to correspondents in the East. Offered here is a handsome San Francisco lettersheet bearing a detailed panoramic view of the city and harbor, used for a lengthy and informative letter written on the verso by a recent arrival describing his first experiences in California. The writer recounts his initial employment, noting that ?the first three days the Boss had me to go along with the furniture waggon and set up furniture in different parts of the city?, before transitioning to more stable work. The account reflects the fluid labor conditions of the city, where new arrivals moved quickly between occupations. The letter is particularly notable for its financial detail. The writer reports that he ?brought eight hundred dollars in Gold down here with me, and put it into two different banking houses?, an unusually large sum that underscores both the opportunities and the risks of the San Francisco economy in the early 1860s. His decision to divide the funds between banks suggests a degree of financial awareness and concern for security in a still-developing system. A very attractive and compelling piece, pairing a period view of San Francisco with a firsthand account of work and money in the city during its early years as the West Coast?s dominant port. Baird 317. This copy from the James Milgram collection. The other copy we find in auction records sold in Spink Shreves Gallery in 2010 ($2,610 realized). Payot also produced a colored lithograph with a similar title during the period. OCLC 43771168, locating a single copy at the Bancroft Library. A fine example, beautifully preserved. Used illustrated lettersheet with original mailing envelope (Baird 317). Large lithographed panoramic view titled View of San Francisco in 1860, printed on bluish paper, measuring approximately 8.25 x 21.5 inches, published by Henry Payot, 184 Washington Street. The view occupies two full pages of the four-page sheet, with the remaining pages entirely filled by a lengthy manuscript letter dated ?San Francisco Cala October 30th 1863? (likely 1862, based on the accompanying postmark). Accompanied by its original mailing envelope addressed to Robert McCaull, Esq., Box 472, Chicago, Illinois, with a San Francisco postmark of November 2, 1862.

Condition: Fine. First Edition. A striking lettersheet illustration of the conflagration in Marysville in 1851, which, according to the city of Marysville, originated at a Chinese bath house on High St. An uncommon illustration, the only record appearing in the trade in 2008. Baird 289. Lithograph by Justh, Quirot & Co. Illustration measuring 7 x 10 ½ inches on folded sheet measuring 8 ½ x 10 ? folded. Fine condition.