John B. Dale (1840–1912), Mexico
Rio (de Janeiro), 1838-42
Graphite on paper
Colección Patricia Phelps de Cisneros
Dale—a midshipman in the U.S. Navy—drew Brazil as a member of the United States Exploring Expedition, which circumnavigated South America and the Pacific Ocean, collecting scientific data, promoting commerce, and protecting the whaling and seal hunting industries. Brazil was the first stop in a trajectory that traced the coastline, passing through Tierra del Fuego and up Chile onto the West Coast of the United States. The objects and data the expedition collected—including over 60,000 plant and animal specimens—formed the basis of the Smithsonian Institution.