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Celestial Empire in California Letter sheet

Currency:USD Category:Western Americana Start Price:150.00 USD Estimated At:300.00 - 900.00 USD
Celestial Empire in California Letter sheet
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These two pieces of pictorial letter sheets are known as the Celestial Empire. It features two images of Chinese people as miners and gamblers in 19th Century California. It was later featured in Joseph Baird's monumental California's Pictorial Letter Sheets 1849-1869. This piece was lithographed and published by Britton & Rey in San Francisco. The first image shows a group of Chinese people at a mining camp. They can be seen eating, talking and preparing for the day. The second image shows several large groups of Chinese people gathered around various gambling tables. Please note that the bottom image appears to have been cut and pasted on to this page from another source. It is possible that both images are from the same published edition, but were combined later. The paper appears to be taken from an old album page. The overall size measures 10.60" x 8.25" and has some wear including small tears. Burger CollectionCity: San FranciscoCounty: San Francisco CountyState: CADate: 1854