Manuscripts
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Manuscripts
In this letter, Sibley gives a short summary of his career in politics and the US Army including his appointment by "President Lincoln." It is written on letterhead for the "Larkin House" in Watch Hill, Rhode Island.
mssHM 79167
Visual Materials
Image of the monument to the 2nd Rhode Island Volunteers. Monument is topped by a bronze sculpture of a war drum against which are leaning an ammunition bag, a canteen, a wreath and a bayonet. On top of the drum is am infantryman's cap with the cross badge of the Union's Sixth Army Corps. On the front of the monument it reads: 2nd R.I. / Volunteers / Second Brigade/ Third Division / Sixth Corps. In the center of the monument is a carved bas-relief of the shield of the State of Rhode Island. The photograph has been affixed to a card with the photographer's signature and "Gettysburg, Pa." printed in gold lettering at the bottom.
photCL 445 (366)
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Rare Books
In 1863, Watkins was commissioned to photograph the New Almaden Quicksilver Mine near San Jose, California, by William Eustace Barron, a founding partner and San Francisco merchant. This group of 8 mammoth plate photographs depict the structures and works of the quicksilver (i.e. mercury) mine set among hillsides, including smelting furnaces, metal sheds, and paths leading to mine entrances. One view depicts about 40 workers at a quarry, including several adolescent boys posed with wheelbarrows. The miners’ community of small houses and wooden shacks is also seen in views titled "Hacienda" and “The Town on the Hill.” The Mendocino Coast Views Watkins made in the fall of 1863, most likely on a commission from Jerome B. Ford, a major mill owner in Mendocino, California. Views show lumber mills along the banks of Big River, Albion River, and Noyo River, near where they meet the Pacific Ocean. The coastal city of Mendocino is seen on top of a high beach cliff, and there are scenic views of ocean waves crashing against boulders. One river view shows men guiding a small ferry by holding a cable mounted across the river, and a log flume is seen suspended in the background. There is one view of Native Americans, possibly Pomo, seated in front of dwellings made from wooden planks. The house of “Mr. Chalfant” in the town, with a fenced yard, is the focus of another photograph, and there is one view of the Fort Bragg army post.
RB 379010 : Vol. 2