Gold Rush Collection (page 8)

Departure For El Dorado, 19th century (1937). Artist: C Quirot
Departure For El Dorado, 19th century (1937). From Old California, In Pictures and Story, by Stewart Edward White and published by Doubleday, Doran and Company (New York, 1937)

Gambling in the mines, Faro, California, 19th century (1937). Artist: Britton & Rey
Gambling in the mines, Faro, California, 19th century (1937). From Old California, In Pictures and Story, by Stewart Edward White and published by Doubleday, Doran and Company (New York, 1937)

Gambling in the mines, Monte, California, 19th century (1937). Artist: Britton & Rey
Gambling in the mines, Monte, California, 19th century (1937). From Old California, In Pictures and Story, by Stewart Edward White and published by Doubleday, Doran and Company (New York, 1937)

Sutters Fort, Sacramento, California, 1847 (1937). Artist: Snyder
Sutters Fort, Sacramento, California, 1847 (1937). From Old California, In Pictures and Story, by Stewart Edward White and published by Doubleday, Doran and Company (New York, 1937)

Scenes from the California gold rush, 1849 (1937). Artist: Cooke & Le Count
Scenes from the California gold rush, 1849 (1937). Scenes include: the Eliza heading for California; the arrival at San Francisco; travelling about the mines; camping out; miners preparing their

Gambling during the Californian gold rush, 19th century (1937). Artist: Britton & Rey
Gambling during the Californian gold rush, 19th century (1937). From Old California, In Pictures and Story, by Stewart Edward White and published by Doubleday, Doran and Company (New York, 1937)

Californian gold miners, 19th century (1937). Artist: Britton & Rey
Californian gold miners, 19th century (1937). From Old California, In Pictures and Story, by Stewart Edward White and published by Doubleday, Doran and Company (New York, 1937)

Sunday Amusements in the Mines, 19th century (1937). Artist: Britton & Rey
Sunday Amusements in the Mines, 19th century (1937). From Old California, In Pictures and Story, by Stewart Edward White and published by Doubleday, Doran and Company (New York, 1937)

The Mining Business in Four Pictures, 19th century (1937). Artist: Britton & Rey
The Mining Business in Four Pictures, 19th century (1937). From Old California, In Pictures and Story, by Stewart Edward White and published by Doubleday, Doran and Company (New York, 1937)

The Way They Come From California, 1849 (1937). Artist: Nathaniel Currier
The Way They Come From California, 1849 (1937). From Old California, In Pictures and Story, by Stewart Edward White and published by Doubleday, Doran and Company (New York, 1937)

San Francisco in November, 1848, 1858 and the end of the 19th century, (1901). San Francisco grew dramatically after the discovery of gold in California in 1849 led to a gold rush

Gold Mining in California, 1849 (1871). Artist: Currier and Ives
Gold Mining in California, 1849 (1871). Scenes of the 1849 Californian Gold Rush showing cradling, panning, washing with a long tom and hydraulic mining

Miners washing for gold in the Californian gold fields, 1853. The apparatus they are using is called a Long Tom. The discovery of gold in 1848 led to mass immigration into California

Prospectors on their way to the Californian gold fields, 1853. Hopefuls off to the Californian gold fields with their belongings and equipment loaded on their horses and carrying pistols and a rifle

Mining prospector in the Californian gold fields, 1853. The discovery of gold in 1848 led to mass immigration into California

Miners in the Californian gold fields relaxing in their log cabin at night, 1853. The discovery of gold in 1848 led to mass immigration into California

Californian gold miners, c1880. Miners in the Californian gold fields inspecting the result of their digging by the light of a camp fire

Gold mining, California, USA, c1868. Miners using a hydraulic method invented in California, washing down gold-bearing ore with a jet of water

The Californian Balloon Railway, a novel way of travelling to the Californian Gold Rush, 1849. A prospector riding on the back of a large bird, flying towards California

Waterfall gold mine, Boorara, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, 1896. The town of Kalgoorlie grew up after gold was discovered in the area in June 1893

Prospector, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, 1886. The area around Gippsland was the scene of several short-lived gold rushes in the 19th century

MAP: LOS ANGELES, 1800s. Important historical events which have made Los Angeles growth possible. Lithograph, c1929

CALIFORNIA: GOLD RUSH. Black and white gold miners prospecting in Spanish Flat, California, 1852

GOLD RUSH: DIARY, 1848. Diary entry by gold prospector Henry Bigler in California, dated 24 February 1848, describing the successful mining of gold

GOLD RUSH CARTOON, 1849. Off for California. A cartoon inspired by the California Gold Rush. Lithograph, American, c1849

GOLD RUSH CARTOON, 1849. The Way They Go to California. Caricature of the eagerness of Easterners to reach the gold fields in California. Lithograph by Nathaniel Currier, 1849

Chilkoot Pass during the Alaska / Klondike Gold Rush
Alaska/Klondike prospectors climbing to the summit of the Chilkoot Pass, 1890s. Hand-colored halftone reproduction of a 19th-century illustration

Klondyke Gold Rush riverboat in Dawson City, 1898
First steamer carrying gold out of Dawson City, Yukon Territory, 1898. Hand-colored halftone reproduction of a 19th-century illustration

California Gold Rush prospectors
California prospectors washing gravel in a stream, looking for gold. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Dawson City during the Klondyke Gold Rush, 1890s
Gold prospectors crowding Dawson City, Yukon Territory, 1898. Hand-colored halftone reproduction of a 19th-century illustration

Dogsled traveling to the Alaska Gold Rush, 1898
Prospectors dogsled in a snowstorm to get to the Klondike goldfields, 1898. Hand-colored halftone reproduction of a 19th-century illustration

Gold Mining Techniques Panning Sluicing Excavation
Gold mining during the California Gold Rush of 1848 - 1855. The picture shows different mining techniques including panning, sluicing, and excavation with water jets

Gold Quartz Mill 19th Century Mining Gold Mining
A gold quartz mill in the 19th century. After an illustration by Percy William Justyne

The arrival of Californian gold and Mexican dollars at the Bank of England, London, in 1849. After an illustration in the London Illustrated News published September 22, 1849

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH, 1852. Miners working in Spanish Flat, California during the Gold Rush. Photograph, 1852

AUSTRALIAN GOLD RUSH, 1853. Gold mining town of Sofala, along the Turon River in New South Wales, Australia, during the gold rush. Wood engraving, English, 1853

AUSTRALIA: GOLD RUSH, 1852. Forest Creek. Mount Alexander. From Adelaide Hill. Lithograph, Australian, by George French Angas, 1852

AUSTRALIA: GOLD RUSH, 1871. Gold miners at Gulgong, New South Wales, 1871, during one of the last gold rushes in Australia

ALASKA GOLD RUSH, 1890s. Miners panning for gold in Alaska in the 1890s. Photograph

KLONDIKE GOLD RUSH, 1898. Women prospectors on their way to the goldfields in Yukon Territory, Canada. Stereograph, c1898

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH, 1850. California News, or News from the Gold Diggins. Oil on canvas, 1850, by William Sidney Mount, depicting a group of New Yorkers excited

The Way They Go To California. Lithograph, 1859, by Nathaniel Currier
GOLD RUSH CARTOON, 1849. The Way They Go To California. Lithograph, 1859, by Nathaniel Currier

AUSTRALIA: REBELLION, 1854. The Eureka Stockade at Ballarat gold fields in Victoria, Australia, where gold diggers rebelled in 1854 against government license fees and police actions

AUSTRALIA: GOLD RUSH, 1852. A sly-grog shop, or unlicensed liquor store, in the goldfields of Victoria, Australia, during the gold rush of the early 1850s. Contemporary English wood engraving

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH, 1860. Gold mining with a long cradle, known as a quicksilver machine, at Mormon Gulch in Tuolomne County, California. Wood engraving, American, 1860

CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH. Forty-Niners washing gold: colored engraving, mid-19th century

Black Hills gold rush, South Dakota, 1870s
Deadwood City during the Black Hills gold rush, 1870s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Clipper ship loading supplies for the California gold fields
Clipper ship R.B. Forbes in Boston, taking on cargo for California, 1851. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

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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.