Banning Museum Rare Museum Acquisition: Rebecca’s Dresser Michael Sanborn and the Friends of Banning Museum. Photos: Simie Seaman

William Sanford left Missouri for California in 1850 and quickly established a transportation and supply partnership in San Pedro and Los Angeles. His two brothers, John and Cyrus, as well as his mother Hannah and sister Rebecca soon followed him to the small pueblo of Los Angeles. Rebecca caught the eye of Phineas Banning, a former clerk and stagecoach driver for William's partnership. In 1854, Phineas and Rebecca married and established their first home in an adobe near the very sparsely inhabited San Pedro waterfront. Unfortunately, we do not know how the Sanford family came to California or what they brought with them from Missouri, but thanks to a recent family donation we now have the dresser pictured here that is identified as belonging to Rebecca.

The dresser is a donation from Jane Graves Mix, a great-great-granddaughter of Rebecca and Phineas. Jane is a descendant of Phineas' second surviving adult son, Joseph Brent Banning. Joseph and his wife Katharine had three children and this family lived in the Banning Mansion for several years beginning in 1888 and their only daughter Katharine Mary Banning was born during that time. This daughter was Jane's grandmother, fondly nicknamed "Kash" by her family and she married Francis Porter Graves in 1922.

The circa 1850 dresser is American Empire in style. The dresser is veneered in mahogany and has both pine and poplar as secondary woods. All of the dresser’s hardware, locks and knobs are original including the mirror. The overall condition of the dresser is excellent considering its travels and age (170 years). The only thing that has been added to the piece is a remarkable note of provenance. At the back of the dresser is a card that was inscribed by Katharine Banning Graves, “This mahogany bureau was Rebecca Banning’s – Phineas first wife – was in the Wilmington Cal house and was then used by my father J.B.B. So-495 Westlake Ave. L.A.”

Rebecca lived in southern California for only 15 years until her early death in 1868. These years were filled with both joy and sorrow. She and Phineas had nine children and only three survived to adulthood. She was thrown from a carriage in Los Angeles in 1855 and injured her head with little hope of surviving (Sacramento News). Rebecca was also very seriously injured by a deadly boiler explosion aboard the Ada Hancock tugboat in 1863 that took 30 lives including that of her brother William. She was the first lady of the Banning Residence and shared with Phineas all of their accomplishments, losses and victories. This dresser is the only item at the museum that is directly attributed to Rebecca and we are certainly thrilled to have it.

You can visit the museum website at www.banningmuseum.org. for more information. The Banning Museum is a facility of the City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks and is operated in cooperation with the Friends of Banning Museum. The Banning Museum is a City, State and National Landmark.