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Wednesday, 10th December 2008 (1385 views)

A series of sketches and oil paintings that chart the California Gold Rush have been put up for sale in Reno, Nevada.

The artworks by Charles Gillespie are being sold by his great-great grandson Dick Rogers, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Reno dealer Frank Holabird has described the collection as one of the most important Gold Rush archives ever found and is attempting to sell the paintings and sketches to a museum or public institution as a single lot on behalf of Mr Rogers of Bowling Green, Ohio.

Scott Shields, chief curator of the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, California, stated: "This is an important archive, particularly the sketches, which are charming and historically significant."

Mr Rogers hopes that his ancestor's work will be seen by the public and the collection includes depictions of James Marshall, who discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma in 1948, an event that changed California's history.

The California Gold Rush took place during the mid-19th century following Marshalls' discovery, with around 300,000 men, women and children travelling to California to seek their fortunes.

 

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