Happy Birthday To Peter Britt, Painter, Pioneer, Photographer

Peter Britt was born in Switzerland on March 12, 1819, on farm land that had been in the family for centuries. You may have heard of Peter Britt because of the music festival in Southern Oregon, and assumed he was a musician. He worked at many trades in his life, but my sources failed to report musical interests.

Farm work and itinerant portrait painting kept him busy until 1845, when he immigrated to the USA and became a naturalized citizen. It was difficult painting portraits in Illinois once Daguerreotypes caught on, so Mr. Britt moved to St. Louis to study photography. In 1852, he packed up 300 pounds of photography gear and joined a wagon train to Oregon. (The burden of all that equipment would become an issue after weeks on the trail!) Shortly after arriving, gold was discovered in Southern Oregon, so he tried his hand at mining and mule packing in the area now known as Jacksonville.

By 1856, Britt had returned to photography, opening “P. Britt’s Photograph and Daguerreotype Room.” About 200 of his daguerreotypes can be seen today. Shortly afterwards, he modified a wagon into a mobile studio and photographed territory within about 100 miles of Jacksonville in all directions. His photo of Crater Lake is credited with helping to create Crater Lake National Park.

His son, Emil, also took up photography. The Southern Oregon Digital Archives can display online some of Emil’s and Peter’s work. For more information, click here.

By Peter Britt, 1819-1905 - Southern Oregon Historical Society/Southern Oregon University, Public Domain.