JOSHUA A. (EMPEROR NORTON I) NORTON - SIGNATURE(S)

JOSHUA NORTON. Signature: "faithfully/yours/Norton I./Emperor.", 3½x2½. Businessman Joshua Norton (1811-1880), who arrived in San Francisco during the 1849 Gold Rush, made over $250,000 in one year. He capitalized on land investments and tried to corner the market on rice. With eggs selling for $1.00 each, rice seemed a sure investment; however, incoming ships brought tons more, dropping prices. By 1853, Norton was bankrupt. Six years later, he re-emerged with a bizarre advertisement in the San Francisco "Evening Bulletin": "...I, Joshua Norton...declare and proclaim my self Emperor of these United States...and Protector of Mexico". The citizens who took notice at all thought it was a joke, but Norton himself never realized that they did not take him seriously. The Commander of Presidio, the army garrison, donated a uniform to him. Others gave him free meals, the city presented him to Emperor Dom Pedro II in 1876, and soon the booming city loved their unconventional character. As final tribute, San Francisco placed a monument declaring him "Norton I. Emperor". Slightly creased. Lightly soiled at lower margin. Fine condition. Framed in the Gallery of History style: 24x17.


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The Gallery of History, founded in 1981, has been a public company since March 1985 listed on the NASDAQ (symbol HIST).The Gallery of History, Inc. is a long-standing UACC Registered Dealer, #RD110, and is a long-standing member of the Manuscript Society. History For Salesm: Gallery of History Direct allows you to bid on our inventory, which has been collected over a 38-year period by Todd M. Axelrod, President and respected authority in the field. The Gallery of History is the largest dealer in the world with an inventory that exceeds 180,000 autographs and manuscripts. Preserving historical documents is important to us. Your purchase comes to you appropriately protected. Our unframed items are sent to you either in acid-free Mylar® sleeves or have been encapsulated in acid-free Mylar. Our framed items are encapsulated in Mylar to guard against organic acids, mounted in an acid-free enviroment and are framed behind UF3-AR Plexiglas which blocks out approximately 94% of the ultraviolet light.

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