1933 Landacre Proof Print Pictorial Map of San Francisco Bay Area, California

Modernist Meditation on the California Gold Rush.

An extraordinary find, this is a c. 1933 proof print of esteemed California artist Paul Landacre's work 'The Gold Fields,' a woodcut pictorial map depicting the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada foothills, which were the center of the California Gold Rush. The work is indicative of Landacre's distinctive style, which helped to define the mid-century California Modernist artistic movement.

A Closer Look

The map, oriented towards the north-northwest, covers the San Francisco Bay Area and the Sierra Nevada foothills to its east, from Sacramento in the north to San Jose in the south, and as far east as Tuolumne. The area is presented as it existed during the California Gold Rush, when San Francisco, Stockton, and Sacramento were burgeoning towns, and the gold fields inland were home to ephemeral boomtowns and camps for prospectors. Mountains, waterways, and forests are illustrated, along with local wildlife, prospectors (on the right), a ship (at the bottom-left), and ferry lines in San Francisco Bay. The work's stunning presentation results from Landacre's distinctive engraving style and the fact that this is a proof print, leaving a superb early impression compared to later prints, when the block would have been worn down with usage.

Landacre and the Early Phase of California Modernism

This work is part of a wider 20th century effort by artists to commemorate California's history, which also included aspects of romanticization and the amalgamation of influences from different time periods. A clear example of this trend is the characteristic Spanish Revival architecture of the early 20th century, but it can also be seen in other forms of art and even non-artistic cultural expression, such as the commemoration of California pioneers and associations of their descendants. Landacre's 'The Gold Fields' appeared on the cusp between the early 20th century romanticization of the California Gold Rush and the later mid-century reassessment of the era, which also coincided with a shift towards 'California Modernism,' heavily influenced by the earlier Revival movement but also borrowing from European avant-garde methods and motifs.

It is no coincidence that Landacre was closely affiliated with major figures of California Modernism like Edward Weston and Henrietta Shore in the early years of his career. Landacre's remarkably refined engraving style turns the California landscape into a rhythmic and almost spiritual aesthetic space. The stark contrast between black and white, a common feature of California Modernism, emphasizes the spectacular, even terrifying grandeur of California's landscape. (Although not directly affiliated, Landacre's work bears resemblance to the photographs of his contemporary, Ansel Adams). An element of romanticization remains in these works, emphasizing the ruggedness of the landscape and the hardiness of gold prospectors and early settlers, but it is tempered, lacking the sentimentality and 'romance' of earlier Revival works.

Publication History and Census

This undated proof state of 'The Gold Fields' is extremely rare. Only thirty signed, titled, and numbered prints of 'The Gold Fields' were issued, based on this proof print, while some 500 examples of the print were also included in a limited reprint of the Alexandre Dumas Gold Rush-era book A Gil Blas in California, published by Ward Ritchie in 1933. The 'Origins of Art' and red bird stamps in the margin on the recto were applied to items left in Landacre's studio after his death and are common to works from his estate. The handwritten note at the bottom-right 'For ML' refers to Landacre's wife, Margaret, and is also common to proofs of his work. We are aware of only one other proof print of this work, which is held by the University of California, Los Angeles.

Cartographer

Paul Hambleton Landacre (July 9, 1893 - June 3, 1963) was a Los Angeles-based artist best known for his linoleum and wood engravings, mostly depicting California landscapes. Born in Columbus, Ohio, Landacre had matriculated the Ohio State University as a star track and field athlete with dreams of being an Olympian. But after contracting a severe case of streptococcus, he was left greatly weakened and moved to San Diego to recover his health. In San Diego, Landacre began working in the advertising industry, where he met his wife Margaret McCreery (1891 - 1963), who would play a major role in his later successful art career. The couple moved to Laguna Beach and later Los Angeles as Landacre explored different artistic techniques, quickly developing a talent for linoleum and then wood engraving. In the late 1920s, Landacre came into the orbit of Jacob Zeitlin (1902 - 1987), a publisher, bookseller, and key node of L.A.'s avant-garde arts scene. Through Zeitlin, Landacre was able to stage his first exhibition and became connected to leading artists in the city like the photographer Edward Weston (1886 - 1958) and the painter and printmaker Henrietta Shore (1880 - 1963). Zeitlin also established the 'Paul Landacre Association,' a group of guaranteed buyers that provided Landacre with steady income from his works. By the late 1930s, Landacre's reputation as one of the greatest wood engravers in the United States had been established.   Further Details...

Condition

Fine.

References

OCLC 1054782372. Wien, J., Paul Landacre: California Hills, Hollywood, and the World Beyond: A Catalogue Raisonné, (New York: Abbeville Press) 2025, pp. 138 et passim.