Study for San Francisco 1855 - 1856

Charles Meryon made this preparatory sketch for his print of San Francisco in the mid-19th century, a period defined by massive social and demographic shifts due to the Gold Rush. Meryon never visited San Francisco. He based his etching on an earlier lithograph by another artist. Consider this act of reproduction, and the layers of mediation, in relation to the popular imagery of the American West, which contributed to both the romanticism and the erasure of the harsh realities of westward expansion. It prompts us to reflect on how images shape our perceptions and understanding of distant places and cultures. Meryon's sketch, although minimal, encapsulates the hopes and dreams, as well as the darker aspects of this transformative period in American history. It reminds us of the narratives we construct and the identities we project onto new frontiers.