Vibrant Camp Scene in the Mojave Valley of Rio Colorado, 1856 Lithograph

Landscape · 19th century

Vibrant Camp Scene in the Mojave Valley of Rio Colorado, 1856 Lithograph

€ 220

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1856
Sheet size: 20.7 × 28.3 cm (8.1 × 11.1 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-14038-38

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

Condition summary: Very good overall, with light toning typical of its age. The image remains crisp and vivid.

About this sheet

A camp in the Mojave Valley of the Colorado River, an original tinted lithograph from the Pacific Railroad Surveys, issued in 1856. The caption reads "Camp Scene in the Mojave Valley of Rio Colorado". The header reads "U.S.P.R.R. Exp. & Surveys, 35th Parallel" and the sheet is marked Itinerary, with "T. Sinclair's lith. Phil." at lower right.

The wide, flat valley floor is dotted with cottonwoods and tents. In the center, a large crowd of Mojave men and women stands in a dense group, with a long line of figures walking toward them from the right. Mojave figures in the foreground are shown in a lively scene, one running and others standing in conversation. Behind the valley a long, jagged mountain range rises above a pale escarpment. The tints are soft green and gray.

The sheet records the meeting of the 35th parallel survey under Lieutenant Whipple with the Mojave people along the Colorado River. It comes from Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to Ascertain the Most Practicable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.