Photographs of the effects of hydraulic mining in Nevada, Sutter, and Yuba counties

Todd, John A.

1882-1889

PC-RM-Todd

Collection includes seventeen photographs documenting the destructive effects of hydraulic mining. Includes images of washed-over roads, ruined orchards, broken dams, riverbank gravel deposits, and working hydraulic hoses. Photos were taken in Nevada, Sutter, and Yuba counties and feature the Yuba and Feather Rivers. Two other photographs depict waterfront and shipping scenes in unidentified location, probably San Francisco. One photograph shows a dredge docked near an unidentified waterfront. J.A. Todd created the photographs between 1883-1899, the bulk created between 1882-1883. Each photograph was created for use as evidence in United States court cases. Each photograph is labeled with the court case it was used as evidence in and many include a brief description of what is depicted.

J.A. Todd was active as a photographer in California between 1863-1897. "In 1882, Todd was commissioned to take a series of photographs illustrating the deleterious effects of hydraulic mining for presentation in the case of Edwards Woodruff v. the North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company. He photographed a debris dam in Sucker Flat Ravine at Smartsville, Yuba County. A month later he traveled to North Bloomfield Mine in Nevada County to photograph general views of the hydraulic monitors at work. Todd was called into the Ninth Circuit Court in Sacramento on June 4, 1883, to testify to seven of his photographs which were introduced as evidence in the Woodruff case"--Pioneer Photographers of the West / Peter E. Palmquist and Thomas R. Kailbourn.

https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c85144pj/