Joseph Goldsborough Bruff

Joseph Goldsborough Bruff (October 2, 1804 – April 14, 1889) was an amateur artist and adventurer as well as a professional draftsman and cartographer. He attended West Point for two years before becoming a merchant seaman. He later served as a draftsman for the United States Navy and a mapmaker for the United States Army. In 1849, he formed the Washington City and California Mining Association and led an expedition to California seeking gold. He kept a detailed journal of the expedition that was later published in two volumes. After returning from California, Bruff worked as an architectural designer in the United States Department of the Treasury.

Early life Bruff was born in the City of Washington, District of Columbia on 2 October 1804. He was the son of Thomas and Mary Bruff. His father was a well-known physician and dentist, who invented and patented several dental equipment items, along with the coffee grinder. He grew up in a large house on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 21st Street in downtown Washington. As a child, Bruff witnessed the British invasion of Washington during the War of 1812.

In 1820, Bruff was appointed to West Point. However, he was forced to resign after only two years because he was involved in a duel, which was a serious violation of military regulations. After leaving West Point, he signed onto the crew of a merchant ship as a cabin boy. He spent the next five years traveling around the world as an itinerant seaman. This included at least three years as an acting Master's Mate on a United States Navy Ship. The association had many investors, and they financed a well-equipped expedition. Bruff was elected captain of the expedition. While it was an unofficial title, Bruff was called "Captain" for the rest of his life.

The expedition followed the Lassen Trail into California. After arriving in the state, the expedition broke up, leaving Bruff to spend a very difficult winter in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. While in California, Bruff got to know Peter Lassen very well. He then traveled around California's gold country, making many drawings of geographic landmarks, mining camps, and other interesting scenes. He left California in June 1851 by sea, arriving in New York City a month later. Some of his luggage was stolen from the dock at New York harbor, but none of his journals or drawings were lost.

Later life

After returning to Washington, Bruff went to work as a draftsman in the office of the supervising architect in the United States Department of the Treasury. In that position, he designed the ornamentation for the south and west wings of the Treasury building in Washington as well as architectural ornamentation for Treasury offices throughout the country. During his tenure in the office, he served under supervising architects Ammi B. Young, Isaiah Rogers, and Alfred B. Mullett. Bruff did not get along with Mullett and left the office in 1869, transferring to the department's registry office. He returned to the Treasury architect's office in 1876 to serve under his friend James G. Hill. By 1887, Bruff was the oldest employee of the United States Government. He remained in his Treasury position until he became ill in early 1889. That same year, Bruff became a founding member of the Washington Association of Engineers and Architects, a professional organization for architects and building engineers.

Bruff was an avid reader. His personal library included 322 volumes covering a wide range of topics including history, travel, many scientific works, philosophy, religion, fine arts, and literature. He also kept a private artifact collection of ancient coins, Native American weapons and tools, geological specimens, animal tusks, original letters from notable Americans, and mementos from historical sites as well as portraits of famous people he admired.

Bruff's daughter, Zuleima, also became a painter, after studying with her father.

Death and legacy Bruff died on 14 April 1889 at his home in Washington. His funeral was held on 17 April. He is buried at the National Congressional Cemetery in Washington.

Today, significant collections of his original drawing and papers are held by the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Huntington Library, Yale University Library, and the Smithsonian.