The Case:
A viewer from Colorado thinks he may have discovered a gem of Gold Rush memorabilia when he found an unusual drawing.
This drawing depicts four huge gold nuggets, weighing one, two, six and ten pounds. Someone has overlaid the nuggets with curious, almost cartoon-like pictures: a bag of gold dust, a scowling turtle, a Colt revolver, and the profile of a man’s grinning face. The signature, I.W. Baker, catches our contributor’s eye.
Could this be the Isaac Baker famous for his photographs of the Gold Rush? And did miners actually find gold nuggets that large? History Detectives visits Baker’s haunts in California and talks with Gold Rush curators to reveal the story behind this drawing.
Drawings and Photographs by Isaac Baker
The Oakland Museum of California's art collection documents the history of California and the West from the early 1800’s onward. View some drawings and photographs by Isaac Baker in their collection.
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