Finding aid to Grass Valley and Vicinity, Taken by D. Fricot, circa 1894-1910

Processed by Chris McDonald.
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
© 1996
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Finding aid to Grass Valley and Vicinity, Taken by D. Fricot, circa 1894-1910

Collection number: BANC PIC 1976.034--AX

The Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
Finding Aid Author(s):
Processed by Chris McDonald.
Finding Aid Encoded By:
GenX
© 2013 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.

Collection Summary

Collection Title: Grass Valley and Vicinity, Taken by D. Fricot
Date (inclusive): circa 1894-1910
Collection Number: BANC PIC 1976.034--AX
Photographer: Désiré Fricot
Extent: 56 photographic prints, 20 x 25 cm. or smaller (some mounted, 23 x 28 cm. or smaller); 1 single-page document, 36 x 22 cm.; 2 booklets: 15 x 24 cm., and 18 x 13 cm. 56 digital objects
Repository: The Bancroft Library.
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
Abstract: The Grass Valley and Vicinity collection contains 56 photographic prints taken circa 1894 by Désiré Fricot.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English

Information for Researchers

Access

Restricted originals. Use of originals only by permission of the Curator of Pictorial Collections, The Bancroft Library.

Publication Rights

Materials in this collection may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html .

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Grass Valley and Vicinity, Taken by D. Fricot, BANC PIC 1976.034--AX, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

Digital Representations Available

Digital representations of selected original pictorial materials are available in the list of materials below.Digital image files were prepared from selected Library originals by the Library Photographic Service. Library originals were copied onto 35mm color transparency film; the film was scanned and transferred to Kodak Photo CD (by Custom Process); and the Photo CD files were color-corrected and saved in JFIF (JPEG) format for use as viewing files.

Related Collections

Views of Calaveras and Mariposa Counties, Calif. BANC PIC 1976.033 -- fALB
Album of Photographs of Hawaii BANC PIC 1976.032 -- fALB
Berton & Co. Records, 1904-1934 BANC MSS 70/7 c

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog
California Heritage Project. CU-BANC
Online Archive of California.
Dwellings -- California -- Grass Valley -- Photographs.
Grass Valley (Calif.) -- Pictorial works.
Miners -- California -- Photographs.
Mines and mineral resources -- California -- Nevada County -- Photographs.
Mining districts -- California -- Nevada County -- Photographs.
Nevada County (Calif.) -- Pictorial works.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

The Grass Valley and Vicinity photographs were purchased in 1976.

Biography

Désiré Fricot (1868-1940) was the son of Jules Nicolas Fricot, a French emigre who became a California mining pioneer. Part of a larger community of French prospectors, the Fricot family owned and operated a number of very prosperous mines in the Grass Valley and Nevada City areas of Nevada County, as well as mines in Calaveras County. They also owned real estate in San Francisco, and were apparently active in French diplomatic and consular activities in California and Hawaii.
Désiré Fricot was also a translator of French language documents into English. In 1940, the California Historical Society published his translation of and introduction to André Chavanne's The Burning of the Golden Gate in July 1862. The Impressions of a Survivor, André Chavanne (in California Historical Society Quarterly, vol. 19, no.1, pp. 27-42), an account of the steamship Golden Gate. In 1944, the same organization published his California Unveiled: A Translation of Treny's La Californie dévoilée (reprinted from The California Historical Society Quarterly, vol. 22, no. 4, December 1943, and vol. 23, no. 1, March 1944). Both of these publications are held by the Bancroft Library.

Scope and Content

The Grass Valley and Vicinity collection contains 56 photographic prints taken circa 1894 by Désiré Fricot. The collection appears to have originally been intended as an album, as two of the mounts are covered in fabric, one of which bears the hand-painted title "Grass Valley, 1894." The collection features views and scenes of the Grass Valley area of Nevada County, California --the most productive gold-mining region in the nation --and reflects various interests of the Fricot family. The town of Grass Valley itself is represented in general views, street scenes, and views of several residences and other points of interest. Also included are several scenes of mines --including the prosperous North Star Mine --and mining; the outlying Deer Creek, Shebley Park, and other natural areas; and a Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad train wreck.
Several people, most of whom are presumably members of the Fricot family, appear throughout the album.
Several of the prints are numbered and bear the name of "D. Fricot." The only other identified photographer is "Dowe."
The collection also contains a document describing the incorporation of the Eastern Star Gold and Silver Mining Company, and two booklets --a promotional report on the region entitled "Nevada, the Banner Gold County of California," published circa 1910; and a general history and overview of the area entitled "Souvenir of Grass Valley and Vicinity," published circa 1895, which is illustrated with many of the Fricot photographs included in the collection.

 

[View of Grass Valley. Mounted print; apparently front cover of original album. Painted fabric cover stitched to verso of mount reads "Grass Valley 1894."] BANC PIC 1976.034:01--AX

 

[View of Grass Valley. Columbus School at right.] BANC PIC 1976.034:02--AX

 

School Street. 174. D. Fricot. BANC PIC 1976.034:03--AX

 

Church Street. 176. D. Fricot. [With steeple of Methodist Church.] BANC PIC 1976.034:04--AX

 

Mill Street. 175. DF. BANC PIC 1976.034:05--AX

 

Main Street. Flecher [i.e Fletcher residence]. BANC PIC 1976.034:06--AX

 

Main Street. BANC PIC 1976.034:07--AX

 

Glasson [residence]. BANC PIC 1976.034:08--AX

 

Congregational Church. Church Street. BANC PIC 1976.034:09--AX

 

[Unidentified residence. Grass Valley?] BANC PIC 1976.034:10--AX

 

[Unidentified residence and dog. Grass Valley?] BANC PIC 1976.034:11--AX

 

172. D. Fricot. [J.B. Dibble residence. Formerly Fricot residence? Grass Valley.] BANC PIC 1976.034:12--AX

 

170. D. Fricot. [Garden, J.B. Dibble residence. Formerly Fricot residence? Grass Valley.] BANC PIC 1976.034:13--AX

 

171. D. Fricot. [J.B. Dibble residence. Formerly Fricot residence? Grass Valley.] BANC PIC 1976.034:14--AX

 

170. D. Fricot. [J.B. Dibble residence. Formerly Fricot residence? Grass Valley.] BANC PIC 1976.034:15--AX

 

Deer Creek. 137. BANC PIC 1976.034:16--AX

 

Deer Creek. 159. D. Fricot. BANC PIC 1976.034:17--AX

 

[Deer Creek?] BANC PIC 1976.034:18--AX

 

[Unidentified man with dog.] BANC PIC 1976.034:19--AX

 

[Unidentified party on rocks. Deer Creek?] BANC PIC 1976.034:20--AX

 

Independence [Mine] Terminal. 167. DF. BANC PIC 1976.034:21--AX

 

[Unidentified people on rocks. Deer Creek?] BANC PIC 1976.034:22--AX

 

166. D. Fricot. [Unidentified group. Independence Mine terminal.] BANC PIC 1976.034:23--AX

 

164. D. Fricot. [Unidentified men. Independence Mine terminal.] BANC PIC 1976.034:24--AX

 

[Unidentified mine.] BANC PIC 1976.034:25--AX

 

[Unidentified mine.] BANC PIC 1976.034:26--AX

 

McManus Cabin. 160. D. Fricot. BANC PIC 1976.034:27--AX

 

[Unidentified miners.] BANC PIC 1976.034:28--AX

 

Shebley Park. 142. BANC PIC 1976.034:29--AX

 

[Unidentified party in rowboat. Shebley Park?] BANC PIC 1976.034:30--AX

 

[Unidentified party on grass. Shebley Park?] BANC PIC 1976.034:31--AX

 

Shebley Park. Grass Valley. BANC PIC 1976.034:32--AX

 

[Cat. Unidentified location.] BANC PIC 1976.034:33--AX

 

161. D. Fricot. [Deer Creek?] BANC PIC 1976.034:34--AX

 

157. D. Fricot. [Unidentified men on rocks. Deer Creek?] BANC PIC 1976.034:35--AX

 

[Men digging. Unidentified location.] BANC PIC 1976.034:36--AX

 

[Horses. Unidentified location.] BANC PIC 1976.034:37--AX

 

[Unidentified party on rocks. Deer Creek?] BANC PIC 1976.034:38--AX

 

[Unidentified man and woman with piglet. Shebley Park?] BANC PIC 1976.034:39--AX

 

144. [Train on trestle. Nevada County Narrow Guage Railroad. Unidentified location.] BANC PIC 1976.034:40--AX

 

148. [Train wreck. Nevada County Narrow Guage Railroad. Unidentified location.] BANC PIC 1976.034:41--AX

 

146. [Train wreck. Nevada County Narrow Guage Railroad. Unidentified location.] BANC PIC 1976.034:42--AX

 

145. [Train wreck. Nevada County Narrow Guage Railroad. Unidentified location.] BANC PIC 1976.034:43--AX

 

165. [Unidentified men with horse buggy.] BANC PIC 1976.034:44--AX

 

[Unidentified mine. Cf. 48.] BANC PIC 1976.034:45--AX

 

[Unidentified party in horse coach.] BANC PIC 1976.034:46--AX

 

158. D. Fricot. [Unidentified men on rocks. Deer Creek?] BANC PIC 1976.034:47--AX

 

[Unidentified mine. Cf. 45.] BANC PIC 1976.034:48--AX

 

[Unidentified miners.] BANC PIC 1976.034:49--AX

 

North Star Mine. BANC PIC 1976.034:50--AX

 

[Maryland Mine.] BANC PIC 1976.034:51--AX

 

[Maryland Mine.] BANC PIC 1976.034:52--AX

 

[View of Grass Valley.] BANC PIC 1976.034:53--AX

 

[View of Grass Valley. Mounted print; apparently back cover of original album. Fabric cover stitched to verso of mount.] BANC PIC 1976.034:54--AX

 

[Unidentified men and boy with burro. Mounted.] BANC PIC 1976.034:55--AX

 

[Unidentified man with dog. Photograph by Dowe. Mounted.] BANC PIC 1976.034:56--AX

 

[Document describing share information for Eastern Star Gold and Silver Mining Company. With hand-written annotation.] BANC PIC 1976.034:57--AX

Additional Note

Image was not digitized
 

[Booklet, Grass Valley and Vicinity. Compiled by J.E. Poingdestre, ca. 1895.] BANC PIC 1976.034:58--AX

Additional Note

Image was not digitized
 

[Booklet, Nevada, the Banner Gold County of California. Published by Nevada County Promotion Committee, ca. 1910.] BANC PIC 1976.034:59--AX

Additional Note

Image was not digitized