Price: $750.00
SKU: 97685
PUBLISHER: Published by A. Rosenfield. San Francisco.
MEDIUM: Lithograph,
DATE: 1862.
EDITION SIZE: Image 4 5/8" x 7 1/16" (11.6 x 17.9 cm).
DESCRIPTION: This rare hand-colored lithograph, The Burning of the Golden Gate, captures the dramatic final moments of the famed Pacific Mail Steamship Company vessel off the coast of Manzanillo, Mexico, on July 27, 1862. Sketched by an eyewitness and published by early San Francisco printer Anthony Rosenfeld, the image shows the doomed sidewheel steamer engulfed in flames, with lifeboats scattered in the foreground and desperate passengers jumping into the surf. The SS Golden Gate was among the most advanced and admired ships on the San Francisco–Panama route, carrying hundreds of passengers and over $1.4 million in gold coins on its final voyage. A fire that broke out between the galley and engine room spread with terrifying speed, cutting off escape routes and dooming many in steerage. <br><br> Despite the efforts of Captain Hudson and his officers, the fire quickly consumed the ship, forcing those aboard to flee into the sea. The vessel was beached about 300 yards from shore, where heavy surf further hampered rescue efforts. Only 74 of the 242 passengers survived, along with 59 crew members. The scene depicted here serves as both a visual record and a haunting tribute to one of the deadliest maritime disasters of the era. In the years that followed, efforts to recover the sunken gold captured the imagination of treasure hunters, making Playa de Oro—Gold Beach—a symbol of both loss and lingering mystery.
ADDITIONAL INFO: This piece is in a 11 x 14 inch mat for handling.
CONDITION: Fair to good condition some damp staining and overall toning of the paper. several vertical creases seen on the verso but not seen of the face.
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