Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Rare Books
Bag of gold : Song & chorus as sung by the Barker family
Image not available
Rare Books
Image not available
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Visual Materials
priJLC_SMUS Box 3
Image not available
Manuscripts
These two letters were written by J. Barker to his brother, Kirk, describing his search for gold in Australia and South America. In the first letter, HM 16535, dated 1853, March 13, J. Barker is in Melbourne, Australia, after a one hundred and ten day voyage. He writes that the prices of everything, including gold, is much higher in Australia, and says there is "plenty of gold to be had but the state of society is awful." In Melbourne, he writes "robery and murder is of comon occurrence" and yet he is "determined not to leave here without making something." The second letter, HM 16536, is dated 1853, October 11 and 14. J. Barker is on board the ship Lady Juliana, about to land in San Francisco, California. He is glad to be out of Australia, and laments that so many miners left good claims in California to travel to Australia. He has received no letters from home, despite having sent six himself. He has heard that gold has been discovered in South America, and he plans to depart for the Amazon River to search for himself.
mssHM 16535-16536
Visual Materials
priJLC_SMUS Box 3
