Visitors to Jacksonville's ever-popular
BrittFest, an annual outdoor musical venue which brings musicians in from all over the world, might notice this metal sculpture created by artist
Ralph Starritt and dedicated on 11-1-2004.
The life-size sculpture of Peter Britt, one of Jacksonville's most popular historical figures and who lived from 1819 to 1905, is made from pieces of scrap metal welded together to create a good representation of Britt doing what he did best in his day: Photography. The photograph of Peter Britt posing (----->), wearing a coat, is depicted perfectly in this sculpture and probably typical of what people would see him wearing in his element. Peter Britt was not only good photographer but a good horticulturist, artist, miner (not so good at), meteorologist and mule train packer. He left a lasting impression on the community of Jacksonville and the Rogue Valley by being the first person to plant fruit trees in the valley as well as opening Oregon's very first winery. He was also the very first person to take a photograph of Crater Lake, one of the most popular National Parks in the country.
There is a historical marker located nearby on the Britt Gardens property that highlights Peter Britt's former homestead.
Starritt is a regionally-known artist who has sculpted many metal works of art that are located all over Southern Oregon and Northern California.