Journal and Drawings of J. Goldsborough Bruff, 1849-1853

Summary

Creators:

Bruff, Joseph Goldsborough,1804-1889.

Abstract:

The collection contains J. Goldsborough Bruff's oversize revised version of his journal (c. 1853), which documents his journey across the American plains in 1849 by way of Lassen's Trail. Also included in the collection are 264 drawings of scenes from his overland journey, of various places he visited in California, and of his sea voyage to the Eastern United States via Mexico and Panama.

Extent:

265 items

Language:

The records are in English

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains J. Goldsborough Bruff's oversize revised version of his journal (c. 1853) which documents his journey across the American plains in 1849 by way of Lassen's Trail. Also included in the collection are 264 drawings of scenes from his overland journey, of various places he visited in California, and of his sea voyage to the Eastern United States via Mexico and Panama. Many of Bruff's drawings are in pencil, but thirty-eight of them were drawn with pastels and are in color.

Biographical / historical:

Joseph Goldsborough Bruff (1804-1899) is best known as a topographer, journalist, and artist of the gold rush era. Bruff was born in Washington, D.C., on October 2, 1804. He attended West Point from 1820 until his resignation in 1822, when he left to sail, as a cabin boy, to Europe and South America in 1822. From 1827-1836 he worked as a topographical engineer, predominantly at Gosport Naval Yard in Norfolk, Virginia. He returned to Washington, D.C., in 1837 and from 1838-1849 worked for the United States Bureau of Topographical Engineers. Bruff then organized the Washington City and California Mining Association, which he accompanied to California on its overland journey in 1849. While in California he produced extensive journals and drawings of the mining camp experience. In 1853 Bruff returned to Washington, D.C., where he worked in office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department until his death on April 14, 1889.

Acquisition information:

Purchased from A.S.W. Rosenbach, 1919.

Rules or conventions:

Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

• Journal [of an overland journey to California by way of the Oregon and Lassen trails]. 1849 Aug. 28 - 1850 Oct. 9 (mssHM 252)
• Joseph Goldsborough Bruff letter to James Tyler Ames, 1849, January 30 (mssHM 43068)
• Joseph Goldsborough Bruff letter to the "President of the United States" with a poem "To the promoters of disunion," 1860, Dec 10-17 (mssHM 72872)

Alternative form available:

Visit the Huntington Digital Library to view digitized items from this collection.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Overland journeys to the Pacific--History--Sources.
Drawings--California--19th century.
Drawings--West (U.S.)--19th century.
Journals (accounts)--California--19th century.
Journals (accounts)--West (U.S.)--19th century.
Pastels--California--19th century.
Pastels--West (U.S.)--19th century.

Location of this collection:

Huntington Library, Manuscript Collections

1151 Oxford Road

San Marino, CA 91108, US

Contact:

(626) 405-2191

reference@huntington.org

Website