The Great Seal of the State of California.

[Sacramento]: Department of State, 1888. Broadside. Embossed gold paper Great Seal affixed at center, printed ribbon woven through. 11 3/4 x 18 inches. Brief history and description of the origin of the Great Seal of California, designed by Maj. R.S. Garnett. The ribbon has printed: "Compliments of L.H. Brown, Secretary of State." Brown served as Secretary of state from 1895 to 1899. Old remnants of tape at corner and some general toning but a very good copy.This document gives both a history of the Great Seal of California and an example of the Seal itself. As near as can be determined broadsides concerning the Great Seal were issued when there was a change in the Seal. This does not appear to be the case here as the text is merely a history of the designing of the Seal. There are only three copies located by OCLC (Fresno County, Bancroft and the Boston Athenaeum).The need for a Great Seal was discussed at the Constitutional Convention for the new state meeting in Monterey in 1849. In town was United States Army Major Robert Selden Garnett, who was skilled at drawing and who prepared a sketch. Members of the Convention liked it, but Garnett didn’t want to get the credit because of hostility between the military and civilian leaders of the state. A clerk of the convention, Caleb Lyon, presented the design to the members as his own work, the Garnett’s permission. Various amendments were voted on but a design was finally adopted. A description was, “Around the bend of the ring are represented thirty-one stars, being the number of States of which the Union will consist after the admission of California…The foreground figure represents the Goddess Minerva, having sprung full grown from the brain of Jupiter.” That symbolized California becoming a state without having been a territory. The bay and ships may have been Sacramento or San Francisco. The grizzly bear eating grapes, the miner getting gold, the Sierra, all characteristics of the state. The Greek motto, “Eureka,” means “I have found it.” Delegate Vallejo wanted the bear removed or shown lassoed by a vaquero. He was voted down. There were arguments later about who held the original die and press, and the legislature had more made of slightly different size. The original designer of the Great Seal, Major Robert Garnett, was a West Point graduate, had distinguished himself in battle. When the Civil War broke out, he joined the Confederates, was advanced to brigadier-general, and was killed in the battle of Carrick’s Ford by Union General McClellan’s forces.