Britt, Peter, 1819-1905

Person

Staff Only

Biography

Born in Obslalden, Switzerland, Peter (1819-1905) was the second son of Jacob Britt. At the age of 27 he went to America and became a citizen in 1850 in Indiana. He studied daguerreotyping in St. Louis under an early-day photographer, J.H. Fitzgibbon. Britt crossed the plains in 1852 with his camera to settle in Jacksonville.

He opened a studio (see photo 24-21) in 1854 to become one of the first studio daguerreographers in Oregon. W.H. Jennings of Oregon City was first in 1851. Although best known as the leading northwest photographer, Britt was a civic minded person. He owned land (almost 2,000 acres at one time), became a leading horticulturist, a mine owner, a money lender, and a good friend of Chinese laborers.

He retired in 1900 to spend more of his time with oil painting and in the greenhouse. In 1861, he married Amalia Grob (1822-1871), a widow with one son, Jacob (1854-1896). They had three children, Emil (1862-1950), Arnold (1864, aged three months), Amalia (1865-1954). None were ever married. Peter Britt attended the 1905 Lewis and Clark Expedition and there contracted a cold that led to pneumonia and his death later that year.

Found in 12 Collections and/or Records:

Backgrounds

Sub-Series — Box: 07, Folder: 18

Identifier: MSS003:03.01

Scope and Contents

Twelve photographs.

Dates: 1850-1950

Found in: Southern Oregon University, Hannon Library / MSS-003, Peter Britt photographs / Photographs of Paintings and Illustrations

Classical paintings

Sub-Series — Box: 07, Folder: 21

Identifier: MSS003:03.04

Scope and Contents

Seventeen photographs.

Dates: 1850-1950

Found in: Southern Oregon University, Hannon Library / MSS-003, Peter Britt photographs / Photographs of Paintings and Illustrations

Group paintings

Sub-Series — Box: 07, Folder: 19

Identifier: MSS003:03.02

Scope and Contents

Ten photographs.

Dates: 1850-1950

Found in: Southern Oregon University, Hannon Library / MSS-003, Peter Britt photographs / Photographs of Paintings and Illustrations

Landscapes

Sub-Series — Box: 07, Folder: 20

Identifier: MSS003:03.03

Scope and Contents

Fifteen photographs.

Dates: 1850-1950

Found in: Southern Oregon University, Hannon Library / MSS-003, Peter Britt photographs / Photographs of Paintings and Illustrations

Painting by Peter Britt, bulk: 18uu

Sub-Series — Box: 07, Folder: 22

Identifier: MSS003:03.05

Scope and Contents

Four photographs.

Dates: Majority of material found within 18uu

Found in: Southern Oregon University, Hannon Library / MSS-003, Peter Britt photographs / Photographs of Paintings and Illustrations

Painting of view of Jacksonville by Peter Britt

Digital Image

Identifier: https://cdm16085.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15013coll1/id/777

Dates: 18uu

Found in: Southern Oregon University, Hannon Library

Photo of Peter Britt painting of Lake of the Woods and Mt. McLoughlin

Digital Image

Identifier: https://cdm16085.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15013coll1/id/55

Dates: 18uu

Found in: Southern Oregon University, Hannon Library

Photographs of Paintings and Illustrations

Series — Box: 07

Identifier: MSS003:03

Scope and Contents From the Collection: Most of the prints are portraits taken by Peter Britt. After 1883, Emil Britt was also in the studio. Nearly half the portraits are unidentified. Peter Britt did take photographs outside the studio infrequently. His most well-known effort occurred in 1874 at Crater Lake. He created what is probably the only wet-process photo of Crater Lake. William Gladstone Steel used the photograph in his successful effort to have Crater Lake designated a National Park. This collection includes the...

Dates: 1850-1950

Found in: Southern Oregon University, Hannon Library / MSS-003, Peter Britt photographs

Portraits of female subjects

Sub-Series — Box: 07, Folder: 23

Identifier: MSS003:03.06

Scope and Contents

Eleven photographs.

Dates: 1850-1950

Found in: Southern Oregon University, Hannon Library / MSS-003, Peter Britt photographs / Photographs of Paintings and Illustrations

Portraits of male subjects

Sub-Series — Box: 07, Folder: 24

Identifier: MSS003:03.07

Scope and Contents

Eight photographs.

Dates: 1850-1950

Found in: Southern Oregon University, Hannon Library / MSS-003, Peter Britt photographs / Photographs of Paintings and Illustrations

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Subject: Photography of painting X

Britt, Peter, 1819-1905

Biography

Found in 12 Collections and/or Records:

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