Two views of coastal scenery. Vertical notes on top left of sketch 1 read: "Trinidad Head" and "False Cape Mendocina"; Caption under top sketch of sketch 1 reads: "False Cape Mendocina, bearing N. by E. from True Cape: - Taken from opposite the Cape, and 1 mile distant form Sugar loaf Rock."; Vertical note in center of sketch 1 reads: "Trinidad Head"; Caption under center of sketch 1 reads: "Turtle Hill. Trinidad Head bearing N. by W. from off False Cape Mendocina, 1/2 ms. from shore"; Vertical notes on lower left of sketch 1 read: "Cape Mendocina" and "Point Gordo"; Caption under lower left of sketch 1 reads: "The Point bearing N.N.W. 6 or 8 ms. dist."; The vertical note on lower right of sketch 1 reads: "Point"; The caption under lower right of sketch 1 reads: "Point Gordo, N.W. b. N. dist: 4 leagues"; The vertical note along left side of sketch 2 reads: "These should have at least 2 ms. breadth of sea"; The note on top of sketch 2 reads: "mountains enveloped in fog"; The caption below the top sketch of sketch 2 reads: "Point de Arena - N. about 3 ms. dist" and "(cliffs straw color)"; The caption under the middle left sketch on sketch 2 reads: "Stratified Cliffs, 3 miles below Pt. Arena. dist: 2 ms: N. {cliffs, pale buff color, markings of orange and brown}"; Caption under the middle right sketch of sketch 2 reads: "A dangerous rock bearing E 1/2 N. dist: 2 ms. about 8 ms: Pt. Arena" and "yellow bluff"; The caption under the lower left side of sketch 2 reads: "Point"; The caption under the lower right side of sketch 2 reads: "Yellow clay cliffs, 2 ms. below Pt. Arena". Joseph Goldsborough Bruff 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. 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 U.S. Bureau of Topographical Engineers. Bruff then organized the Washington City and California Mining Association, which he accompanied to California. 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.
Type
image
Format
image/tiff
Extent
Consists of two sketches:Sketch 1: 13.5 x 44 cm.; pencil drawing; Sketch 2: 14.5 x 44 cm.; pencil drawing
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