Street Scene of a California Gold Mining Town, about 1850
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Artifact Overview
Placerville, a California gold-mining town, is the subject of this daguerreotype from about 1850. The two men panning for gold on the street are posing, but the buildings -- including hotel, general store, saloon, and "Legal Coin in Exchange for Dust" shop -- offer an authentic view of daily life for gold-seekers and merchants during the California Gold Rush.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Daguerreotype (Photograph)
Date Made
circa 1850
Subject Date
circa 1850
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
86.17.66.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Copper (Metal)
Silver (Metal)
Glass (Material)
Papier mâché
Silk (Textile)
Wood (Plant Material)
Technique
Daguerreotype (Process)
Half plate
Dimensions
Height: 4.75 in
Width: 6 in
Length: 0.75 in
Inscriptions
Signs on shop fronts read, left to right: [illus. of a pickax] BAKER AND KEYSER BLACKSMITHS. / J.E. FREEMAN & CO. / ST. CHARLES SALOON / COFFEE HOUSE & BAKERY / [illegible sign] / EL DORADO HOTEL BAKERY & GENERAL STORE / LEGAL[?] COIN IN EXCHANGE[?] FOR DUST BELL & COLLINS AMERICAN MEAT MARKET
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