About Joseph Lee

Name variants

Joseph La Salle
  • Biography

    Joseph Lee (1827-1880)

    He was born in England in 1827, came to San Francisco in 1858 and was listed in the city directory as a sign painter. Little is known of his art training; he may have been been self-taught. He first gained public notice in 1858 at the second Mechanics' Institute Fair where he won a bronze medal for tin signs. From the painting of signs, he developed into an easel painter of scenes that were rendered in minute detail. Captains often hired Lee to do portraits of their ships and it is said that you could rig a ship with one of his paintings. His works are seldom without water and often contain repetitious patterns such as railroad tracks, white picket fences, etc. He often signe...

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