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Clothing
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Our clothing tells of our station in life, our work, and our self-image. This exhibition is always expanding as we explore the dress of our society.
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Watches
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The pocket watch was the peak of 19th century technology. Crafted with exquisite precision, a watch was a lifetime purchase, typically costing $100 - about a month's earnings for a shopkeeper or tradesman. Watches before the Civil War were wound and set from the back using a key, while stem-wound watches became predominant by 1870. Time was set by the sun or by a city clock. Time zones had not been created, so each city kept its own time.
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Weapons
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California was a dangerous place, with predators of both bipedal and quadrupedal varieties. To be unarmed was to be unprotected, especially in a land without an effective police force. All guns used black powder (gunpowder) ignited by a small metal percussion cap, and fired round or conical lead bullets. Knives, walking sticks, and truncheons were also part of the well-equipped argonauts equippage. The 1849 Colt 'Wells Fargo'pocket revolver was the best-selling gun of its time. Please visit our exhibit to view more fine weapons.
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