Gold Rush Collection (#11)

AUSTRALIA: GOLD RUSH, 1853. Prospectors washing gold at the Junction of Pegleg & Sailors Gully, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. Lithograph, English, 1853

AUSTRALIA: GOLD RUSH, 1852. Zealous Gold Diggers. A family washing gold at Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. Lithograph, English, 1852

AUSTRALIA: GOLD RUSH, 1851. Gold Diggers Encampment, Summer Hill, New South Wales, Australia. Lithograph by the English artist George French Angas, 1851

AUSTRALIA: GOLD MINE, 1867. Ballarat. Freehold Mine. Sluicing Off. Victoria, Australia. Lithograph by Julius Hamel, 1867

AUSTRALIA: GOLD MINE, 1867. Western Freehold Mine. Chinese Keeping Clear the Tail Race of Sluice. Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Lithograph by Julius Hamel, 1867

AUSTRALIA: GOLD MINE, 1867. Landing at the Brace. Western Frehold Mine Ballarat, Vicoria, Australia. Lithograph by Julius Hamel, 1867

DAWSON CITY, c1897. Men trimming logs to construct log cabins in the gold mining town of Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. Photograph, c1897

DAWSON CITY, c1897. Log cabins and tents along the riverside at the gold mining town of Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. Photograph, c1897

DAWSON CITY, c1897. The river front of the mining town of Dawson City, center of the Klondike gold fields in Canadas Yukon Territory. Photograph, c1897

DAWSON CITY, c1897. Construction workers seated on logs taking a break at the gold mining town of Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada

DAWSON CITY, c1915. Panoramic view of the gold mining town of Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. Photograph, c1915

DAWSON CITY, c1897. Alaska Commercial Companys warehouse under construction at the gold mining town of Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada, c1897

DAWSON CITY, c1899. Panoramic view of the gold mining town of Dawson City, along the Yukon River, Canada. Photograph, c1899

DAWSON CITY, c1897. Arrival of a steamship at the gold mining town of Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. Photograph, c1897

DAWSON CITY, c1897. Group of gold miners waiting for the arrival of a steamship at Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. Photograph, c1897

AUSTRALIAN GOLD RUSH, 1852. Prospectors digging for gold in the Port Phillip district near Melbourne, Australia. Wood engraving, English, 1852

CANADA: GOLD MINING, 1860s. A coach with gold, guarded by armed men, passes miners headed for the gold fields of Cariboo country, British Columbia, Canada, along the Cariboo Road, completed in 1865

KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH. Miners working at a sluice box in Alaska. Stereograph view, c1898

KLONDIKE STAMPEDE, 1897. Miners crowding Porcupine Hill along the White Pass trail to the Klondike region of Yukon Territory, Canada. Photograph, c1897

YUKON GOLD RUSH, 1896. Miners with their supplies crossing Lake Lindemann, head of the Yukon River. Drawing, 1896, by Frederic Remington after a photograph

YUKON GOLD RUSH, 1896. Prospectors crossing the Chilkoot Pass in Alaska on their way to the Klondike region in the Yukon Territory of Canada. Drawing, 1896, by W.H. Drake after a photograph

YUKON RAILROAD, 1900. Driving the last spike, 29 July 1900, at Carcross, Yukon, Canada, on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad, connecting the port of Skagway, Alaska, with Carcross on Bennett Lake

AZARIAH SMITH (1828-1912). One of the discoverers of gold at Sutters Mill in Coloma, California in 1848. Engraving, American, late 19th century

HENRY BIGLER (1815-1900). One of the discoverers of gold at Sutters Mill in Coloma, California in 1848. Engraving, American, late 19th century

ALASKA: PROSPECTORS, c1897. Four prospectors on a trail in Alaska. Photograph, c1897

ALASKA: MINERS, c1898. Miners climbing a mountain near the summit of Chilcoot Pass, bound for the Klondike gold fields in Alaska. Stereograph, c1898

CALIFORNIA: SUTTERs MILL. Gold mining at John A. Sutters sawmill in Coloma, California, where James W. Marshall first discovered gold on 24 January 1848. Oil on canvas, c1860, by an unknown artist

COMSTOCK LODE, 1859-79. A cutaway view of the mines of the Comstock Lode at Virginia City, Nevada, which yielded more than 500 million dollars in silver and gold ore between 1859 and 1879

ALASKA: SLUICING FOR GOLD. A prosepctor sluicing for gold on the coast in Alaska, c1900

ALASKA: GOLD MINING, c1900. Prospectors sluicing at Ophir Creek in central Alaska, c1900

ALASKA: GOLD MINING, c1900. Sluicing at Ophir Creek, central Alaska, c1900

ALASKA: GOLD MINING, c1898. Slucing on the beach at Bluff City, Alaska, c1898

PIONEERS TEN COMMANDMENTS. Scenes when crossing the plains in 1849. Lithograph by Kurz and Allison, on the California Gold Rush, c1887

MINEWORKERS at the head of a shaft in a gold mine at Cripple Creek, Colorado; c. 1890

GOLD RUSH, 1852. Prospectors at Auburn Ravine in California. Photographed from a daguerreotype by Joseph B. Starkweather, c1852

SUTTERs MILL GOLD, 1848. The first discovery of gold in California, by James Marshall at Sutters Mill, 24 January 1848. Illustration from History of an Expedition to California, 1849

GOLD PROSPECTORS, c1897. At Daniels Creek, near Bluff City, Alaska: oil over a photograph

GOLD RUSH: KLONDIKE. Miners fording the Dyea River, Alaska, on the way to the Klondike region of Yukon territory, Canada, in search of gold. Oil over a photograph, 1897

MINERS IN THE KLONDIKE. Miners panning for gold in the Klondike, 1897. Oil over a photograph

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH 1850s. Placer miners. Daguerreotype, probably early 1850s

GOLD MINER, 1899. Prospector in the Klondike. Lithograph, 1899

GOLD MINING, c1866. Placer mining / panning out. Photograph by Lawrence & Houseworth
GOLD MINING, c1866. Placer mining/panning out. Photograph by Lawrence & Houseworth, c1866, at Tuolumne County, California

GOLD RUSH, 1889. Prospectors washing and panning gold at Rockerville, Dakota Territory, 1889

PROSPECTORS, 1870. Prospectors and burros on a western mountain trail, c1870

GOLD MINERS, 1889. Prospectors washing and panning for gold in Rockerville, Dakota Territory, 1889

COLORADO: TOWN, 1864. Central City, Colorado Territory. Photographed 1864

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH GUIDE. Cover of a guide to the gold fields of California printed at Boston in 1849

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH, 1853. Gold mine at Horseshoe Bar, American River, California, c1853

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The gold rush phenomenon captivated people around the world, from Australian Gold Rush prospectors in the 1850s to Leadville, a Colorado boom town in the 1870s. The allure of striking it rich drew countless individuals to venture into uncharted territories, hoping to uncover precious nuggets and change their lives forever. In California, where dreams were made and shattered alike, lithographs by Currier & Ives immortalized the chaotic scenes of gold mining in 1871. West Coast towns like Jacksonville in Oregon became bustling hubs as fortune seekers flocked to these promising lands. Even Hollywood couldn't resist the charm of this historical event. In Charlie Chaplin's iconic film "The Gold Rush" from 1925, he humorously portrayed a prospector resorting to eating his own shoe out of desperation - a comical representation of the lengths people would go for that elusive treasure. Sutters Mill holds significant importance as it marks the site where California's first gold discovery took place. It was here that James Marshall stood proudly before Sutters Mill in 1850, forever etching his name into history as an influential prospector. Panning for gold became synonymous with this era; hopeful miners meticulously sifted through riverbeds and streams with pans in hand, praying for that glimmering yellow metal to reveal itself. This laborious process symbolized both determination and uncertainty - each stroke bringing them closer or further away from their ultimate goal. A land-rush frenzy gripped America during this time period; crowds anxiously waited for their chance at staking claim on new territory. The promise of untapped riches fueled their anticipation while also highlighting how quickly fortunes could be won or lost within these newly opened frontiers. Contemporary colored engravings depicted California gold miners hard at work during this transformative era. Their perseverance amidst harsh conditions showcased not only their unwavering spirit but also shed light on the immense sacrifices made in pursuit of wealth.