Collection is open for research.
Gift of Priscilla Mayden, June 2007 (Lib. Acc. 26275).
George Davidson was born in 1768 in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Scottish American sailor Alexander Davidson (1730-1829) and his wife, Ann Davidson (née Goddard, died 1774). In 1790, he joined the crew of the ship Columbia Rediviva under Captain Robert Gray, and participated in the ship's voyage to the Pacific Northwest. Davidson was listed as a painter on the ship's roster, and made drawings depicting events during the voyage.
Davidson married Mary Clark (born 1775) in 1794. The couple had two children: Mary Ann Davidson (later Stowell, born 1795) and George Davidson (born 1798, died 1837 or 1845). In 1799, Davidson became captain of the ship Rover. He made another voyage to the Pacific Northwest, and subsequently died in 1801 when his ship disappeared during a storm while sailing to China.
Sources: Genealogical material in the collection; "Early Maritime Artists of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 1741-1841," by John Frazier Henry (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1984), pages 174-175; "The Genealogies and Estates of Charlestown: In the County of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1629-1818, Volume 1," by Thomas Bellows Wyman (Boston: David Clapp and Son, 1879), page 277, accessed online via Internet Archive,
George Davidson commonplace book and related materials, Coll 63, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Collection was originally processed in 2007, and reprocessed in 2026 by Jeffrey A. Hayes. During original processing, sheets of acid-free paper were placed between the pages of the commonplace book for preservation purposes. Reprocessing included refoldering typescript and photocopied materials and placing original genealogy in mylar folders. Collection was titled "George Davidson commonplace book" prior to 2026.
Other materials at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library relating to George Davidson include the Columbia Rediviva collection, Mss 957; the book "Early Maritime Artists of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 1741-1841" by John Frazier Henry (call number 741.092 H522e); and the vertical file Art - Oregon artists - D.
The collection consists of a book of watercolor paintings, quotations, calligraphy, and other notations by George Davidson; and materials relating to Davidson's artwork, his biography, and his family genealogy. The first page of the book indicates that Davidson began working on it in 1785, and includes an admonition against stealing it. Some of the paintings depict sailing ships, while others depict landscapes, people, or other scenes. One of the last pages is signed by Davidson's son, George Davidson (known as G. Davidson), with the date July 7, 1811; the writings and paintings on the book's last pages may also have been made by Davidson's son. The collection also includes a handwritten document of the Davidson family genealogy, including a biographical sketch of George Davidson, written by G. Davidson in 1831.
Other artwork in the collection includes drawings on two small individual pages from a cash book and a ledger that Davidson kept in 1789, and black and white photocopies of other artwork by Davidson. Other materials in the collection consist of typescript copies of the writings in the book; typed and photocopied biographical and genealogical material, including a biographical sketch of Davidson, with examples of his artwork, from the book "Early Maritime Artists of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 1741-1841"; a photocopy of a 1971 Oregonian article about an exhibition of Davidson's artwork in Astoria, Oregon; and the April 20, 1959, issue of Life magazine, which includes examples of drawings by Davidson on page 79.
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.