Grafton Tyler Brown Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Grafton Tyler Brown Art Value Price Guide

Jul. 18, 2025
Painting, Grafton Tyler Brown
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918), View of Mount Hood, 1887, oil on canvas board, signed and dated lower left, board: 16"h x 24"w, overall (with frame): 21.75"h x 29.5"w
Clars Auctions
Jun. 27, 2024
Hand-colored litho by Grafton T. Brown
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
Heading: (California - Purissima, San Mateo County) Author: Brown, Grafton T. Title: Town of Purissima, San Mateo Place Published: San Francisco Publisher:Moore and De Pue Date Published: 1878 Description: Hand-colored lithograph (the coloring is later). Image: 31.3x66.3 cm (12¼x26”); sheet: 35.6x75.2 cm (14x29½”), hinged to mat.Double-page print from the Illustrated History of San Mateo County, of the now ghost town of Purissima in San Mateo Country in its prime. G.T. Brown was the first Black lithographer in California. After seven months of production, Moore and DePue praised the ”skill and artistic finish” of the plates included in their Illustrated History of San Mateo County, and through the Redwood City newspaper on November 30, 1878, declared that ”we are now delivering [them] to our subscribers.” For those with second thoughts, the publishers offered, ”a limited number can be purchased of our delivering agents while on their route. Price ten dollars.” Today, this county history is in great demand. Robert J. Chandler, San Francisco Lithographer: African American Artist Grafton Tyler Brown (2014), pages 146-148.
PBA Galleries Auctions & Appraisers
May. 18, 2024
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841-1918, View from Puget Sound, Midsummer Effect, Mount Tacoma Washington
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841-1918 View from Puget Sound, Midsummer Effect, Mount Tacoma Washington 1897 oil on canvas board 12 x 20 inches signed and dated, titled label from Babcock Galleries, NY verso Exhibited: Flint Institute of Arts, The Art of Collecting, November 23, 2007-December 30, 2007 Provenance: private collection, Dallas, TX
Black Art Auction
Dec. 02, 2023
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841-1918, Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park
Est: $10,000 - $20,000
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841-1918 Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park 1888 oil on canvas board 16 x 10 inches signed and dated; titled verso, along with "spouts every 65 minutes to a height of from 130 to 160 feet. Size of opening 2 ft by 6 ft; plays from 2 to 5 minutes. Noted: "No.6" also on verso. Provenance: private collection, Concordia, Missouri
Black Art Auction
Dec. 02, 2023
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841-1918, San Mateo County, California; lot of two works
Est: $450 - $650
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841-1918 San Mateo County, California; lot of two works c. 1878 two lithographs with hand-coloring Residence of George F. Keifer San Gregorio, San Mateo Co., CAL. 6-1/4 x 8 inches (image), with a fancy printed border 13 x 15-5/8 inches (sheet) with Residence of Theodore Finger Redwood City, San Mateo County, CA 4-3/8 x 5-1/2 inches (image), 13 x 15-1/4 inches (sheet) both images published by Moore & De Pue, S.F. G.T. Brown & Co. Lithographers, S.F. A general reference for the life and work of the artist, and specifically his project in San Mateo County, California: San Francisco Lithographer, African American Artist Grafton Tyler Brown, Robert Chandler
Black Art Auction
Dec. 02, 2023
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841-1918, Residence of Alfred Fay, Redwood Tsp, San Mateo County, Cal.
Est: $300 - $500
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841-1918 Residence of Alfred Fay, Redwood Tsp, San Mateo County, Cal. c. 1878 lithograph with hand-coloring 7-1/4 x 10-3/8 inches (image), with a fancy printed border 13 x 15-1/4 inches (sheet) published by Moore & De Pue, S.F. G.T. Brown & Co. Lithographers, S.F.
Black Art Auction
Jun. 06, 2023
Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918), "Grand Canyon from Lookout Point, Yellowstone National Park," 1886, Oil on canvas, 30" H x 18" W
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) "Grand Canyon from Lookout Point, Yellowstone National Park," 1886 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right: G.T. Brown; signed and dated again and titled verso
John Moran Auctioneers
Mar. 31, 2023
Wells Fargo Mining Company Stock [163601]
Est: $2,000 - $3,500
Wells Fargo Mining Company - Virginia District, Storey County, Nevada Stock Certificate No. 4797 for 100 shares made out to Golley & Epstein, Trustees (stockbrokers in S.F.) dated Feb. 28th, 1877. 'This is one of the oldest locations in the mining section known as the North Virginia. It is situated a little less than a mile in a direct line and Eastward from the original locations on the Comstock. Formations similar to those on the Comstock are plainly traced across the dividing canon and are found in North Virginia. The situation of the Wells Fargo is directly east of the Utah, Sierra, etc. A shaft has been sunk that cut through a large ledge of promising vein matter, from which liberal assays have been made. Hoisting works have been erected, with machinery sufficient to conduct operations1200 feet, at least. No. of feet, 1500; No. of assessments, 11. Amount, 50c per share. Levied September 11, 1878. Total assessments $226,800."Reference: Pacific Coast Annual Mining Review and Stock Ledger October 1878, p. 256. Officers at this time were D. M. Seaton, president and W.M. Hellman, secretary. The Company was capitalized at $10,800,000; 108,000 shares at $100 each and incorporated in San Francisco, on January 28th, 1875. Signatures on this earlier certificate include O. (Olander) H. Bogart, Secretary and D. L. McDonald, President. Wonderful large vignette of a stagecoach showing details of six riders and driver on top, passengers inside and drawn by four horses past a smelter. The name 'W. F. Mining Co." is labeled on the coach in the vignette. As of September 11th, 1878, eleven assessments had been levied for a total of $226.800. Black on white paper. Printed by Lith. G.T. Brown & Co., S.F. Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) also painted landscapes of Yosemite Valley, San Francisco, and many of the 'City Views" that C.C. Kuchel was noted for. He is listed with his partner W.T. Galloway in Bishop's 1876 S.F. Directory p.223. Brown was the first African American Lithographer in the West and became California's first black sketch artist. He worked first for the lithography firm of Kuchel and Dresel Company, whose specialty was views of California mining towns and mining genre. See below. Fine condition. Very scarce a few examples known. Paid $3000, Value $4000. Reference: Company is listed in Becker's Geology of the Comstock Lode and Washoe District 1882 on p. 412. also see Statistics of Mines and Mining in States and Territories West of the Rocky Mountains Eighth Annual Report of Rossiter W. Raymond 1877 (for the year ending April 13th, 1876); p. 467; San Francisco City Directory by D. M. Bishop 1876, p.194 (O.H. Bogart ref.); p.424 (Golley & Epstein: address for Emanual Epstein ); p.511 (address for Leon Golley and firm: Stock Brokers at 308 Sansome); p.1383 (G. T. Brown & Co. Lithographers, 540 Clay); p. 1401 (Wells Fargo Mining - S.F. Office at 328 Montgomery). Also, McKenney's Business Directory for 1878 p. p. 671 (for Golly & Epstein, Stock Brokers at 417 California St.). The Alexandra Tillson Filer Collection, item 689, p. 118. Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) also painted landscapes of Yosemite Valley, San Francisco, and other California locales. He is listed with his partner W.T. Galloway in Bishop's 1876 S.F. Directory p.223. Brown was the first African American Lithographer. Brown is considered the first professional African American artist and lithographer in California. 'Born of free ancestry in Pennsylvania, Brown His family were freed slaves who moved from Maryland in 1837 and arrived in San Francisco from Pennsylvania in the early 1860s. He was able to find work as a lithographer in San Francisco at the firm of Kuchel and Dresel Company where he specialized in "bird's-eye" city views. He bought the business in 1866, renaming it G.T. Brown & Co. (See Henry G. Langley's San Francisco Business Directory for 1866 which locates G.T. Brown at 543 Cla, p.512; previous directories list this address for C.C. Kuchel). His early creations consisted of illustrating and documenting the settlements, gold-rush towns, and ranches that were springing up in the territories surrounding San Francisco. This served as part of the commercialization of the developing nation. Although his business as a commercial draftsman was successful, Brown sold it in 1879 and in 1882 left the Bay Area for Canada, where many Blacks found a more racially tolerant environment. Brown turned to paint as his primary medium and began to focus on the beauty of the Canadian landscape. By 1885 the Pacific Northwest and its mountainous landscapes inspired him to paint his most noteworthy pieces. Brown's soft palette fills his nature-drenched vistas with awe-inspiring majesty. This was a quality that characterized his grand landscapes. Brown frequently included railroad tracks and ferryboats in his landscapes, which serve as subtle but poignant reminders of the encroachment of civilization." Reference: San Francisco Lithographer- African American Artist Grafton Tyler Brown by Robert J. Chandler, 2014. Also, The St. James Guide to Black Artists, Edited by Thomas Riggs; 1997, St. James Press, Detroit, MI Date: 1877 Country (if not USA): State: Nevada City: Virginia City Provenance:
Holabird Western Americana
Jan. 28, 2023
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN OIL SKETCH, VIEW OF TRAIL BETWEEN PENTICTON & PRICES, B.C.
Est: $5,000 - $6,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (Canada/America, 1841-1918) oil on cardstock painting depicting a mountain range with evergreen trees in the foreground, unsigned. Inscribed en verso, "View of Trail between Penticton & Prices B.C. from camp at head of Keremeous Creek Oct 13, 1882". Unframed. 14" H x 22" W. Note: According to the University of Victoria's website, "Known B.C. Sketches of Grafton Tyler Brown," this recently discovered sketch (now published on the site https://web.uvic.ca/~hist66/gtbrown/sketches.html ) is mentioned in The Colonist newspaper Nov. 28, 1882, page 3. According to historian John Lutz, who maintains the site, "Price, mentioned on the back of the painting, almost certainly refers to Barrington Price who moved to Keremeos in 1872 and in 1877 opened what still operates as the Keremeos Grist Mill owned by the province. This would be a sketch that he may or may not have developed into a finished painting." Biography: Grafton Tyler Brown was born into a family of freed slaves in Pennsylvania in 1841, and became known as the first Black artist in the Pacific Northwest; he was also acclaimed in the 1880s as the first professional artist in British Columbia. He worked as an illustrator for a San Francisco lithography business, Kuchel and Dressel (known for their views of cities) in the 1860s and 1870s, and eventually became a part of the firm's management. In 1882, he was part of a geological survey team to British Columbia, and from 1886 to 1890, settled in Portland. He spent the last twenty-five years of his life working as a civil engineer for the United States Army Corps in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he died in 1918. (Source: The University of Victoria; Edan Hughes, "Artists in California, 1786-1940" ; Peter Falk, "Who Was Who in American Art").
Case Antiques, Inc. Auctions & Appraisals
Nov. 19, 2022
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841-1918, Mountain Vista
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841-1918 Mountain Vista 1891 Oil on board 9 x 12 inches Signed and dated
Black Art Auction
Nov. 19, 2022
Grafton Tyler Brown, The Golden Gate, Yellowstone National Park
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
Grafton Tyler Brown The Golden Gate, Yellowstone National Park 1888 oil on canvas board 16 x 10 inches signed and dated; titled verso, and noted, "No. 5", also verso.
Black Art Auction
Nov. 19, 2022
Grafton Tyler Brown, Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
Grafton Tyler Brown Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park 1888 oil on canvas board 16 x 10 inches signed and dated; titled verso, along with "spouts every 65 minutes to a height of from 130 to 160 feet. Size of opening 2 ft by 6 ft; plays from 2 to 5 minutes. Noted: "No.6" also on verso.
Black Art Auction
Nov. 01, 2022
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918) Minnehaha Falls
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918) Minnehaha Falls watercolor on board signed GT Brown (lower right) 11 x 7 1/2 inches
Hindman
Feb. 27, 2022
Attrib. Grafton Tyler Brown, Yosemite Valley, O/C
Est: $1,400 - $2,800
Yosemite Valley. Large 19th C. Oil attributed to Grafton Tyler Brown, (American 1841-1918), Remnants of signature. Brown was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1841, and left the East and moved to San Francisco in 1855, where he became California's first Black artist. From 1861 to 1867, he worked as a lithographer for Kuchel and Dresel in San Francisco, establishing his own business, G.T. Brown & Company, upon his employer's death in 1867. Brown's first exhibition in Victoria in 1883 included 22 local landscapes. Overall Size: 38 x 52 in. Sight Size: 25 1/2 x 39 1/2 in.
Sarasota Estate Auction
Jan. 19, 2022
Grafton Tyler Brown (1814-1918) - Wild Flowers of the Yosemite
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (1814-1918) Wild Flowers of the Yosemite oil on canvas 30 x 20 in. (76.2 x 50.8 cm.)
Christie's
Sep. 18, 2021
Mt Hood by Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918)
Est: $7,000 - $9,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918), Mt Hood, 1888, oil on board, 10 x 20, signed lower left
Jackson Hole Art Auction
Sep. 09, 2021
George T. Brown (American, 20th Century) Antarctic Whaling, 1982 Oil on canvas 2
Est: $800 - $1,200
George T. Brown (American, 20th Century) Antarctic Whaling, 1982 Oil on canvas 24 x 48 inches (61.0 x 121.9 cm) Signed, dated, and inscribed lower left: GTBrown / VIII / 1982 PROVENANCE: Private estate, Austin, Texas. HID01801242017
Heritage Auctions
Sep. 09, 2021
George T. Brown (American, 20th Century) Gold Rush Fever, 1981 Oil on canvas 24
Est: $600 - $800
George T. Brown (American, 20th Century) Gold Rush Fever, 1981 Oil on canvas 24 x 20 inches (61.0 x 50.8 cm) Signed and dated lower left: GTBrown / VIII / 1981 Signed, titled, and inscribed on the reverse: Oil on canvas / "Gold Rush Fever" / George T. Brown Maritime Artist [...] PROVENANCE: Private Estate, Austin, Texas. HID01801242017
Heritage Auctions
Jul. 17, 2021
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841-1918, San Mateo County, California, lot of two works
Est: $400 - $600
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841-1918 San Mateo County, California, lot of two works c. 1878 two lithographs with hand-coloring Residence of Wm Metzgar, Esq. Spanish Half Moon Bay, San Mateo Co., CAL. 9 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches (image) with San Mateo Hotel, San Mateo, CAL. Eugene Walker, Proprietor 9 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches (image), 13 x 15 inches (sheet) both images published by Moore & De Pue, S.F. G.T. Brown & Co. Lithographers, S.F.
Black Art Auction
May. 22, 2021
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841-1918, Mining Stock Certificates, lot of five
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841-1918 Mining Stock Certificates, lot of five lot of five mining stock certificates, including Cocos Island, Constitution Mining Company, Cornucopia Consolidated, General Lee Silver Mining Company, and Commission Strip lithography on paper largest 5 x 9 1/4 inches REF: San Francisco Lithographer, African American Artist Grafton Tyler Brown, Robert Chandler
Black Art Auction
May. 22, 2021
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841-1918, Menlo Park Hotel, lot of four lithographs
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841-1918 Menlo Park Hotel, lot of four lithographs all hand-colored Menlo Park Hotel, Menlo Park, San Mateo Co. California, M. Kuck, Proprietor; 30 Miles from San Francisco. 9 1/4 x 22 1/2 inches (image) Moore & De Pue , publisher. with: Residence and Ranch of John Butt, Purissima, San Mateo County, California (9 1/2 x 12 1/2 inches, image); E.A. Husing, Dealer in Groceries... ((9 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches, image); Ranch and Residence of Michael Casey, Canada, Ramonda, San Mateo County, California (9 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches, image);
Black Art Auction
Apr. 22, 2021
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN (1841 - 1918) Untitled (Sailboat on a Mountain Lake).
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN (1841 - 1918) Untitled (Sailboat on a Mountain Lake). Oil on linen canvas, 1891. 305x457 mm; 12x18 inches. Signed and dated in oil, lower left. Provenance: private collection, Maryland, acquired at Clars Auction Gallery, April 17, 2016. This charming scene is an example of the early Western landscapes of Grafton Tyler Brown. Born in Harrisburg, PA to a family of freed slaves from Maryland, Brown's family moved to San Francisco in 1855. There Brown began working for the lithography firm of Kuchel & Dresel, specializing in drawing maps and bird's-eye views of cities and towns in Nevada and California. After the owners' death, Brown purchased the firm, renaming it G.T. Brown & Co., but he then sold the business in 1879 in order to devote his time to painting. He moved to Victoria, BC, joining the Canadian government's geological survey of the Cascade Mountains in 1883. The following year he moved again, this time to Washington state, where he frequently painted Mt. Rainier. From 1886 to 1889, the artist had a studio and home in Portland, OR, where he was a member of the Portland Art Club. But by 1892, Brown was on the move again, relocating to St. Paul, MN, where he remained until his death in 1918. Today, his prized landscapes are found in institutional collections including the Smithsonian American Museum of Art and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC.
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 18, 2021
[ART] -- [AMERICAN WEST]. BROWN, Grafton Tyler (1841-1918), lithographer. Map of the Lower Comstock and Emigrant Consolidated Mining Cos. Mines, Lyon Co. Nev. San Francisco: G.T. Brown & Co., [ca 1870].
Est: $600 - $800
[ART] -- [AMERICAN WEST]. BROWN, Grafton Tyler (1841-1918), lithographer. Map of the Lower Comstock and Emigrant Consolidated Mining Cos. Mines, Lyon Co. Nev. San Francisco: G.T. Brown & Co., [ca 1870]. Chromolithographed folding map, 8 1/2 x 16 1/4 in. (creases at folds, mount remnant on edge verso). Scarce Nevada mining claim map lithographed by pioneering African American lithographer Grafton Tyler Brown shows claims, streets, buildings, and geographical features in Silver City. OCLC locates 8 copies. Born the son of a Pennsylvania freedman, Brown moved to San Francisco in 1861 where he worked as a draftsman and lithographer. In 1867 he established his own company which he operated until 1879. Brown later joined the Amos Bowman Geological Survey and gained fame as a landscape painter. RARE: OCLC locates 8 copies.
Cowan's Auctions
Nov. 14, 2020
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841-1918, Oregon Farm, oil on canvas, 13-3/4 x 21-1/8 inches
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841-1918 Oregon Farm oil on canvas 1889 Signed and dated Initialed and dated January 1889 verso Excellent period frame Exhibited: Artful Liaisons: Connecting Artists Grace Carpenter, Edward Espey, & Grafton Tyler Brown, Grace Hudson Museum, Ukiah, CA, 2018-2019 Grafton Tyler Brown: Exploring California, Pasadena Museum of Art, 2018. This work is a rare departure from the landscape painting of Brown, and is more closely associated with his lithography work (see; Residence of John Donnelly, San Mateo, California , 1878. Brown completed a major project for the Illustrated History of San Mateo County, published in 1878. He was known to have sketched 40 of the 72 views of ranches and towns for this publication. (REF: International Review of African American Art, pp. 28-32, Lizzetta LeFalle-Collins, Vol. 12, number 1) BAA is grateful for the assistance in researching this painting from these scholars associated with the work of the artist: Bridget R. Cooks, Ph.D., UC Irvine; Karen Holmes, Grace Hudson Museum; Mark Humpal, Mark Humpal Fine Art. Grafton Tyler Brown was a painter, graphic designer, and lithographer who worked in California in the late 19th century. Brown worked in Peter S. Duvalâ€™s print shop in Philadelphia in the 1850s. By 1865, he had founded his own lithography business in San Francisco, designing stock certificates for a wide variety of companies ranging from ice to mining corporations, as well as admission tickets, maps, sheet music and advertisements. In the 1870s, Brown moved to Victoria, British Columbia to work on a geographical survey for the Canadian government. He held his first exhibition of paintings in 1883 in Victoria, which included 22 local landscapes. Brown lived in Portland from 1886-1889 and Wyoming in 1891, before returning to California, all the while painting the local scenery. In 1892, he left the West and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he worked as a draftsman and civil engineer. Brown lived out his remaining 25 years in St. Paul, Minnesota. 13-3/4 x 21-1/8 inches
Black Art Auction
Nov. 14, 2020
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841-1918, Mt. Tacoma, September Effect, oil on canvas, 26 x 42 inches
Est: $40,000 - $60,000
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841-1918 Mt. Tacoma, September Effect oil on canvas 1885 signed, titled, and dated excellent original, ornate gilt frame which is 5 inches wide Exhibited: Artful Liaisons: Connecting Artists Grace Carpenter, Edward Espey, & Grafton Tyler Brown, Grace Hudson Museum, Ukiah, CA, 2018-2019 This work was the subject of an article in the Tacoma Daily Ledger written on 2/3/1885, claiming it was painted for Robert Harris, President of The Northern Pacific Railroad. Grafton Tyler Brown was a painter, graphic designer, and lithographer who worked in California in the late 19th century. Brown worked in Peter S. Duvalâ€™s print shop in Philadelphia in the 1850s. By 1865, he had founded his own lithography business in San Francisco, designing stock certificates for a wide variety of companies ranging from ice to mining corporations, as well as admission tickets, maps, sheet music and advertisements. In the 1870s, Brown moved to Victoria, British Columbia to work on a geographical survey for the Canadian government. He held his first exhibition of paintings in 1883 in Victoria, which included 22 local landscapes. Brown lived in Portland from 1886-1889 and Wyoming in 1891, before returning to California, all the while painting the local scenery. In 1892, he left the West and moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he worked as a draftsman and civil engineer. Brown lived out his remaining 25 years in St. Paul, Minnesota. 26 x 42 inches
Black Art Auction
May. 16, 2020
Grafton Tyler Brown, 1841 - 1918, Untitled: Scene on the Mississippi approximately 25 miles north of Winona Minnesota, Oil on Canvas, 23 x 46 inches
Est: $100,000 - $150,000
Grafton Tyler Brown 1841 - 1918 Untitled: Scene on the Mississippi approximately 25 miles north of Winona Minnesota Oil on Canvas 1897 - 1905 Signed "G.T. Brown" lower left Provenance: Kramer Fine Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota Private Collection, Minneapolis, Minnesota 23 x 46 inches
Black Art Auction
Feb. 20, 2020
Grafton Tyler Brown Nevada Printed Masonic Appointment, 1871
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
Grand Lodge F.S.A.M. of the State of Nevada Masonic Appointment. San Francisco: G.T. Brown, 1871. 377 x 452 mm. Lithograph on vellum. Imprint, Designed by W.M. Metcalf and G.T. Brown & Co. Lith. San Francisco. A Masonic appointment for Thomas James Hodgkinson to the Carson Lodge No. 1 (Grand Lodge No. 152). Printed on vellum, the appointment features beautifully detailed masonic-related vignettes. Signed by the Grand Mason Horatio S. Mason and Grand Secretary Samuel Chubbuck. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1841, Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) moved west in 1858, first to Sacramento and later to San Francisco, where he became California's first African American city view artist and lithographer. As a prolific and talented topographic artist and lithographer, Brown created images that showcased the natural beauty and essential character of the developing frontier. From 1861 to 1864, he worked as a commercial lithographer for Charles C. Kuchel, and following Kuchels death, bought the firm, renaming it G.T. Brown & Company. Brown is best known for his fifteen birds-eye views and two illustrated history books, but he also printed for a broad range of businesses and mining companies. In 1878, he sold the business to his partner, William T. Galloway, who continued the firm under his own name. Brown moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1882 and soon joined the Canadian Governments Amos Boman Geological Survey for which he made sketches of the scenery along the Fraser River east of the Cascade Mountains. He also opened a studio in Victoria and began to produce paintings of the local landscape. Ever the wanderer, Brown moved to Portland, Oregon in 1886 where he maintained a studio until 1889, and where he was listed as an artist in the Portland city directories and in the directory of the Portland Art Guild.
Cowan's Auctions
Feb. 20, 2020
Grafton Tyler Brown Printer Samples, ca 1870-1876
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Lot of 8. Printed stock certificates, commission scrip, sheet music, and more, all printed by Grafton Tyler Brown. The Great Sub-Marine Blast: Removal of Blossom Rock by the Explosion of 23 Tons of Gunpowder, under the superintendence of A. W. Von Schmidt, C.E. San Francisco: San Francisco News Letter, [1870]. 266 x 349 mm. Lithograph on paper. Illustrated Supplement to the S.F. News Letter. Imprint G.T. Brown & Co. Lith. 540 Clay St. A vignette illustrating the engineered explosion of Blossom Rock on April 23, 1870. A large sandstone boulder just below the surface of the water, it was located between Alcatraz and Yerba Buena Islands and was considerably perilous to any kind of craft. Minor brown spotting to edges, small tear to left edge. Very scarce. Mr. J. H. Milburns Musical Bouquet. San Francisco: M. Gray, 1872. 4to (273 x 351 mm), sheet music, The Roman Fall (some toning to edges, mark underline, hinge partly split). With albumen photograph of Max Bachert Artist by Bradley & Rulofson. Lith. G.T. Brown & Co. S.F. Peoples Ice Company Stock Certificate. San Francisco, 1875. 233 x 106 mm. Lithograph on paper. Imprint Lith. G.T. Brown & Co. S.F. With riverscape vignette. Completed in manuscript on August 6, 1875, to A.G. Bell for fifty shares. Signatures canceled with eight-point star punches. Osgood & Stetson Invoice Letterhead. San Francisco, 1875. 216 x 178 mm. Lithograph on paper. Imprint Lith. G.T. Brown & Co. S.F. Letterhead in a variety of fonts for Osgood & Stetson Importers & Dealers in Stoves, Ranges & Metals, Tin Plate, Sheet Iron, Wire, Tools & Machines. Completed in manuscript on September 6, 1875, to Mr. N.S. Trowbridge with order detailed below the letterhead. Commission Scrip: W. Wilson 961 Broadway, Oakland Cal. Will Pay Five Dollars to Bearer. Oakland: William Wilson, ca 1876. 155 x 80 mm. Lithograph on paper. Imprint G.T. Brown & Co. S.F. With detailed vignette of a ship, a sailor, and the personification of justice. Verso details the terms of service for the scrip advertising the issuer, William Wilson, Practical Clock, Watch and Chronometer Maker. Great Eastern Consolidated Quicksilver Mining Company Stock Certificate. San Francisco, 1876. 233 x 109 mm. Lithograph on paper. Imprint G.T. Brown & Co. S.F. Vignettes of miners at work and quails. Completed in manuscript on January 12, 1876, to J.G. Riley Trustee for 1000 shares. Pioneer Woolen Factory Invoice. San Francisco, 1876. 212 x 113 mm. Lithograph on paper. Imprint Lith. G.T. Brown & Co. S.F. With vignette of a waterside factory. Completed in manuscript on April 24, 1876 to Mr. H.S. Beck. Defiance Mining Company Stock Certificate. San Francisco, 1876. 235 x 103 mm. Lithograph on paper. Imprint G.T. Brown & Co. S.F. Stock certificate with decorative border, patriotic eagle vignette, and dog with a safe. Completed in manuscript on September 26, 1876, to O. Dodge for 25 shares. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1841, Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) moved west in 1858, first to Sacramento and later to San Francisco, where he became California's first African American city view artist and lithographer. As a prolific and talented topographic artist and lithographer, Brown created images that showcased the natural beauty and essential character of the developing frontier. From 1861 to 1864, he worked as a commercial lithographer for Charles C. Kuchel, and following Kuchels death, bought the firm, renaming it G.T. Brown & Company. Brown is best known for his fifteen birds-eye views and two illustrated history books, but he also printed for a broad range of businesses and mining companies. In 1878, he sold the business to his partner, William T. Galloway, who continued the firm under his own name. Brown moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1882 and soon joined the Canadian Governments Amos Boman Geological Survey for which he made sketches of the scenery along the Fraser River east of the Cascade Mountains. He also opened a studio in Victoria and began to produce paintings of the local landscape. Ever the wanderer, Brown moved to Portland, Oregon in 1886 where he maintained a studio until 1889, and where he was listed as an artist in the Portland city directories and in the directory of the Portland Art Guild.
Cowan's Auctions
Feb. 20, 2020
Grafton Tyler Brown Mitchell's Point, Looking Down the Columbia, 1887
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Mitchells Point, Looking Down The Columbia River 1887 Oil on canvas 18 x 30 inches Signed and inscribed at lower left: "G T Brown 87" Signed and inscribed on verso in graphite: G T Brown Mitchells Point Looking Down Columbia Mitchell Point is located on the Oregon side of the Columbia River in Hood River County, a little west of the present town of Hood River. The view is looking west, downriver, with the Washington side of the Columbia showing as the hill on the right side of the painting. The grade along the left appears to be the railroad bed for the Oregon Railway & Navigation Companys tracks. An especially noteworthy painting for its depictions of American Indians, probably depicting a group of Wisham Indians, a band of Indians now associated both with the Warm Springs in Oregon and Yakama in Washington. The Wishram were located along the Columbia on both sides of the Celilo Falls, just east of the present-day city of The Dalles, Oregon. Another band that frequented that region was the Klickitat, now mostly associated with the Yakama. The woman on the right holds strips of salmon, while a traditional canoe is beached nearby. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1841, Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) moved west in 1858, first to Sacramento and later to San Francisco, where he became California's first African American city view artist and lithographer. As a prolific and talented topographic artist and lithographer, Brown created images that showcased the natural beauty and essential character of the developing frontier. From 1861 to 1864, he worked as a commercial lithographer for Charles C. Kuchel, and following Kuchels death, bought the firm, renaming it G.T. Brown & Company. Brown is best known for his fifteen birds-eye views and two illustrated history books, but he also printed for a broad range of businesses and mining companies. In 1878, he sold the business to his partner, William T. Galloway, who continued the firm under his own name. Brown moved to Victoria, British Columbia in 1882 and soon joined the Canadian Governments Amos Boman Geological Survey for which he made sketches of the scenery along the Fraser River east of the Cascade Mountains. He also opened a studio in Victoria and began to produce paintings of the local landscape. Ever the wanderer, Brown moved to Portland, Oregon in 1886 where he maintained a studio until 1889, and where he was listed as an artist in the Portland city directories and in the directory of the Portland Art Guild. It was during this period that Brown painted Mitchells Point, Looking Down The Columbia River.
Cowan's Auctions
Dec. 15, 2019
Painting, Grafton Tyler Brown
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918), River Landscape, 1888, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left, canvas: 10"h x 14"w, overall (with frame): 12.5"h x 16.5"w
Clars Auctions
Sep. 19, 2019
Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918 American) ''Mt. Hood'' Oil on Canvas 24''x34'' Image.
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918 American) ''Mt. Hood'' Oil on Canvas 24''x34'' Image. Exceptional early northwest Oregon scene with paddle boat and homestead by this African American artist. Signed and titled lower center with Sanborn, Vail & Co. Portland label on verso. Original gilt framing 31.5''x41''. Professionally cleaned with two small patch repairs near side edges.
MBA Seattle Auction LLC
Jun. 03, 2018
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN, (American, 1841-1918), Lower Falls and Grand Canyon of Yellowstone from Hayden Point, oil on canvas, 21 x 14 in., frame: 28 x 21 1/2 in.
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN (American, 1841-1918) Lower Falls and Grand Canyon of Yellowstone from Hayden Point oil on canvas signed GT Brown, l.r.; inscribed twice with title, verso 21 x 14 in., frame: 28 x 21 1/2 in. Provenance: The Hayes Family, Charlestown, Massachusetts; by descent in the family. Other Notes: Grafton Tyler Brown was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1841 to a family of recently freed slaves. He moved west to California in the late 1850s/early 1860s, and soon found work as a lithographer. During his time in California, he travelled extensively, drawing and painting the landscapes he encountered. His works of Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks are of particular note. Brown is often celebrated as the first African-American artist to paint views of the West.
Grogan & Company
Nov. 19, 2017
Painting, Grafton Tyler Brown
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (American 1841-1918), Mountain Lake with Sailboat, 1887, oil on canvas, signed and date lower left, canvas: 30"h x 15"w
Clars Auctions
Oct. 15, 2017
Painting, Grafton Tyler Brown
Est: $2,500 - $4,500
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918), Sunset on the River, 1889, oil on panel, signed and dated lower left, panel: 10"h x 14"w, overall (with frame): 16.5"h x 13.5"w
Clars Auctions
Aug. 01, 2017
Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) Tree near Bridal Veil Falls, Tree in Yosemite Valley (A pair) each 16 x 10in each overall: 18 1/2 x 12 1/2in
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) Tree near Bridal Veil Falls, Tree in Yosemite Valley (A pair) each signed 'GT Brown' (lower left) and dated '1889' (on the reverse) oil on canvasboard each 16 x 10in each overall: 18 1/2 x 12 1/2in Painted in 1889 Footnotes Provenance Private collection, Solana Beach, California. One painting is inscribed in pencil on the reverse 'To Julia Brown, from her uncle', the other is inscribed 'To Roscoe Brown, from his uncle'.
Bonhams
Aug. 01, 2017
Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) Castle Geyser, Yellowstone Park 20 x 14in overall: 22 1/2 x 16 1/2in
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) Castle Geyser, Yellowstone Park signed and dated 'GT Brown 91' (lower left) and titled (on the reverse) oil on canvasboard 20 x 14in overall: 22 1/2 x 16 1/2in Painted in 1891 Footnotes Provenance Private collection, Solana Beach, California.
Bonhams
Apr. 23, 2017
Painting, Grafton Tyler Brown
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918) River and Distant Snow-Capped Mountain, 1889, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left, canvas: 8"h x 12"w
Clars Auctions
Apr. 11, 2017
Grafton Tyler Brown ( 1841-1918) Castle Geyser, Yellowstone 29 Â½ x 19in Overall: 33 Â½ x 23 Â½ in
Est: $30,000 - $50,000
Castle Geyser, Yellowstone signed and dated 'G.T. Brown '91' (lower left) and inscribed 'The Castle Geyser Yellowstone National Park Sept. 6, 1890' (on the reverse) oil on canvas 29 ½ x 19in Overall: 33 ½ x 23 ½ in Painted in 1891 Footnotes Provenance Goodspeed's Book Shop Inc., Boston, Massachusetts. Acquired at the above, 1966. Estate of Vera Earley Trayner Lee, Provo, Utah. Thence by descent. Grafton Tyler Brown was one of several known African-American artists working in the 19th Century who achieved commercial success in their day, and whose importance has been rediscovered. Brown was inspired to move West from his native Pennsylvania to follow the promise of reinvention and new opportunity. A self-taught artist, Brown first trained as a draftsman and printer in Philadelphia at the age of fourteen. Three years later, on the heels of the California Gold Rush boom, Brown arrived in bustling Sacramento, California, finding work as a steward and porter at the St. George Hotel. He continued to develop his art, which garnered favorable local press. Despite a successful stint running a lithography business, Brown spent most of his career painting and exploring the Pacific Northwest, capturing majestic views of the Cascades and Yellowstone, as shown in the present work.
Bonhams
Apr. 06, 2017
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN (1841 - 1918) Mallard Ducks of Montana.
Est: $6,000 - $9,000
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN (1841 - 1918) Mallard Ducks of Montana. Oil on linen canvas, 1889. 762x457 mm; 30x18 inches. Signed and dated "''89" in oil, lower left recto. Signed, titled and dated in pencil, lower left and right verso. Provenance: private collection, Connecticut. This unusual trompe-l''oeil painting by Grafton Tyler Brown, the first African-American landscape painter active in the American West, is a very scarce example of his painting in this genre. We have located only one other such trompe-l''oeil painting - Brown''s Trout, 1886, in the collection of the Kalamazoo Art Institute, acquired recently in 2012. Painted against a similar wood grain background, these mallard ducks not only represent a hunter''s trophy from the Montana wilderness of lakes and river valleys but are a tour-de-force of an artist''s skill. Grafton Tyler Brown was born in Harrisburg, PA to a family of freed slaves from Maryland; the family moved to San Francisco in 1855. Brown worked for the lithography firm of Kuchel & Dresel, where he specialized in drawing maps and bird''s-eye views of cities and towns in Nevada and California. After the owners'' death, Brown purchased the firm, renaming it G.T. Brown & Co, but he sold the business in 1879 in order to devote his time to painting. He moved to Victoria, BC, joining the Canadian government''s geological survey of the Cascade Mountains and exhibiting his works there in 1883. The following year he moved again, this time to Washington, where he frequently painted Mt. Rainier. From 1886 to 1889, the artist had a studio and home in Portland, OR, where he was a member of the Portland Art Club. But by 1892, Brown was on the move again, relocating to St. Paul, MN, where he remained until his death in 1918. Today, his paintings are found in the collections of museums throughout the United States, including the Smithsonian American Museum of Art and the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, Washington, DC.
Swann Auction Galleries
Dec. 11, 2016
Painting, Grafton Tyler Brown
Est: $4,000 - $6,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918) River and Distant Snow-Capped Mountain, 1889, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left, canvas: 8"h x 12"w
Clars Auctions
Dec. 10, 2016
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN (American, 1841-1918)
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN (American, 1841-1918), ''Mallard Ducks of Montana'', oil on canvas, signed and dated 89 lower left, signed, titled, and dated to verso. Canvas 18''h, 30''w. As found with repairs, loose canvas, losses, craquelure.
South Bay Auctions Inc
Aug. 14, 2016
Grafton Tyler Brown painting
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918), Mountain Vista, 1891, oil on panel, signed and dated lower left, panel: 9.25"h x 12"w, overall (with frame): 13.5"h x 16"w
Clars Auctions
Aug. 04, 2016
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN, American, 1841-1918, El Capitan, Yosemite., Oil on canvas, 20" x 16". Framed 27" x 23".
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN American, 1841-1918 El Capitan, Yosemite. Signed lower left "G.T. Brown". Oil on canvas, 20" x 16". Framed 27" x 23".
Eldred's
Aug. 02, 2016
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN (1841-1918) View From Puget Sound, midsummer effect,
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
GRAFTON TYLER BROWN (1841-1918) View From Puget Sound, midsummer effect, Mount Tacoma, Washington signed and dated ‘GT Brown 87’ (lower left) and inscribed with title ‘14,450 Ft. high’ (on the reverse) oil on canvas board 12 x 20in overall: 23 x 31in Painted in 1887
Bonhams
May. 22, 2016
Painting, Grafton Tyler Brown
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918), Mountain Lake and Waterfall, 1892, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left, canvas: 22"h x 12"w, overall (with frame): 28.25"h x 18.25"w
Clars Auctions
Apr. 17, 2016
Painting, Grafton Tyler Brown
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918), Sailboat on a Mountain Lake, oil on canvas, signed lower left, canvas: 12"h x 18"w, overall (with frame): 18"h x 24.5"w
Clars Auctions
Feb. 21, 2016
Painting, Grafton Tyler Brown
Est: $5,000 - $7,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918), Yosemite Falls, 1889, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left, canvas: 30"h x 18"w, overall (with frame): 41.5"h x 29"w
Clars Auctions
Feb. 21, 2016
Painting, Grafton Tyler Brown
Est: $2,000 - $4,000
Grafton Tyler Brown (American, 1841-1918), Lake Scene with Snow-Capped Mountain, oil on panel, signed and dated lower left, panel: 6.75"h x 10.75"w, overall (with frame): 12"h x 16"w
Clars Auctions