Britt, Peter, 1819-1905
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 1569 Collections and/or Records:
View of Jacksonville from courthouse dome
View of Jacksonville houses and barns
View of Jacksonville looking north with horseman in foreground
View of Jacksonville, Oregon, looking west from courthouse dome
View of Jacksonville showing churches, school, courthouse
View of Jacksonville with brewery, Britt home
View of Jacksonville with water tower
View of Linkville
View of Table Rock, Britt party, Mollie seated on the right
W. E. Stacey and ladies, 1887
Twenty five photographs
Additional filters:
- Type
- Archival Object 791
- Digital Record 777
- Collection 1
- Subject
- Photographs 1568
- Individuals -- Portraits -- Southern Oregon 1111
- Children -- portraits -- Southern Oregon 298
- Homes and haunts 62
- Jacksonville (Or.) 42
- Chinese Americans 23
- Historic buildings 15
- Clergy 14
- Railroads 14
- Photography of painting 12
- Automobiles 10
- Carriages and carts 10
- Rivers 9
- Camping 8
- Crater Lake (Or.) 7
- Historic hotels 7
- Church schools 6
- Mines and mineral resources 6
- Photography of interiors 6
- Mountains 5
- Roads 5
- Wells 5
- Almshouses 4
- Ashland (Or.) 4
- Historic bridges 4
- Interviews 4
- Oregon, Southern 4
- Parades 4
- Picnics 4
- Agriculture 3
- Applegate River (Or.) 3
- Catholic Church 3
- Indians of North America 3
- Tututni Indians 3
- California, Northern 2
- Clubs 2
- Clubs and Societies 2
- Klamath Falls (Or.) 2
- Outdoor photography 2
- Railroad bridges 2
- Still-life photography 2
- Wagons 2
- Cemeteries 1
- Fishing 1
- Hanging 1
- History, Local 1
- Mills and mill-work 1
- Photography of families 1
- Prospect (Or.) 1
- Rogue River Valley (Klamath County-Curry County, Or.) 1
- Steamboats 1
- Urban parks 1
- Viticulture 1
- Wineries 1 + ∧ less