Ransome Holdredge was born in New York City in 1846. As a young man, he came to San Francisco in the 1850’s via the isthmus of Panama and worked as a draftsman at the Mare Island Navy Yard in Vallejo. He took many painting excursions from the Bay Area, many to Yosemite, and his early paintings were in the realistic style of the Hudson River School.

In 1874 at the age of 28, he went to Paris and was impressed with the Barbizon artists. After two years in Europe, he returned to San Francisco with a different style. He was highly successful, receiving rave reviews in local papers, and was considered by many to be better than his well known contemporary, William Keith. He traveled throughout the west, living with various Indian tribes and was a field artist for Schribner’s and was with Major Reno during Custer’s last stand in 1876.

He was a cofounder of the San Francisco Art Association, and was a member of the Bohemian Club. His works are in the collections of the Bohemian Club, the Oakland Museum, the Orange County Museum, the California Historical Society, the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, and the collection of the Oregon Historical Society.

In the 1890's the artist lived in Alameda. Alcohol was his downfall, and although he made considerable money in his lifetime, he died at the Alameda County Infirmary, penniless. As of this writing in 2024, I have not yet found a photo of Ransome Holdredge to include with this bio. If you have one or know of where I might find one, please contact me.

Source:Askart.com and the Jonathan Art Foundation (https://www.jonathanart.org/ransom-holdredge)