Edward Kern

Edward Meyer Kern (born 26 Oct 1822 or 1823 – 25 Nov 1863) was an American artist, topographer, and explorer of California, the Southwest, and East Asia.

Kern was born in Philadelphia, the son of John Kern III and Mary Elizabeth Bignell. He was trained as an artist.

His brother Richard Kern (1821–1853) was also an accomplished artist, and his brother Benjamin Kern (1818–1849) was a doctor. They joined him on several expeditions.

California
In 1845/46 Edward Kern accompanied the famous explorer Captain John C. Frémont on his Third Expedition into Mexican Alta California. Kern received a daily salary of $3.00. He served as cartographer as well as documentation artist, and collected botanical and animal specimens on this journey. Each night of the trip Kern would draw a field map of the day's route with longitudes and latitudes and sketches of landmarks.

En route in Nevada, Kern's drawing documented the Frémont party's killing of over 30 Northern Paiute Indians who were camped at the Humboldt Sink.

Just before they reached Klamath Lake, Klamath tribesmen attacked the expedition and several members were killed. A brutal counterattack by Frémont and his group upon a native village resulted in many Klamaths' deaths. Kern recorded the counterattack in an engraving, that was later published with Fremont's report.

Frémont then ordered his main party – which included Kern and Joseph Walker – to travel the southern Sierra route over the pass Walker had discovered a decade earlier, while Frémont and a few others left were to cross the northern Sierra at Donner Pass. Frémont named the pass that Walker led his party through Walker Pass. Accompanying Walker southward was Edward Kern, who as the cartographer mapped the (at that time "Rio de San Felipe" as named by the Spanish) Kern River. Later, Frémont named the river after his artist. Kern’s Campsite in the Kern River Valley – at the junction of the South and North Forks of the Kern River – now lies submerged below Lake Isabella reservoir. However a historical monument for Kern’s site was placed above the reservoir near its east shore on Highway 178.

During the 1846 Bear Flag Revolt against Mexico, 23 year old Kern was placed in command of Sutter's Fort and its company of dragoons in the Sacramento Valley by Frémont. That left John Sutter the assignment as lieutenant of the dragoons, and second in command of his own fort until 1847.

While in command there, news of the stranded Donner Party reached Kern, Sutter's Fort had been their destination. Kern vaguely promised the federal government would do something for a rescue party across the Sierra, but had no authority to pay anyone. He was later criticized for his mismanagement delaying the search.

Southwest
In 1848−1849 Edward Kern and his brothers Richard and Benjamin joined Frémont's Fourth Expedition, to the Rocky Mountains in present-day southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. By the time the last surviving member of the expedition made it to Taos on February 12, 1849, 10 of the party had died. In order to move more quickly to safety, it had been necessary for the brothers hide their goods (including sketches) in a cave. After arriving in New Mexico Territory, Benjamin Kern and Frémont's guide Old Bill Williams returned for the hidden goods but were killed by a band of Utes.

In August 1849 Edward and Richard Kern joined the John M. Washington military reconnaissance expedition to the Navajos in 1849, to punish the Navajos for raids on the New Mexico settlements and to secure a treaty with them, in addition to surveying the country. The expedition brought both brothers back to New Mexico. Richard's role, as second assistant and artist, was to make portraits of Indian chiefs, costume, scenery, geological formations, ruins, and to copy ancient writings found on the sides of stone. Edward's role was as first assistant and topographer.

Edward and Richard stayed and lived in New Mexico for two years, working for the Corps of Topographical Engineers. The Kern brothers gave the American public some of its earliest authentic graphic images of the people and landscape of Arizona, New Mexico, and southern Colorado; with views of Canyon de Chelly, Chaco Canyon, and El Morro (Inscription Rock).

In 1853 Edward joined Lieutenant John Pope, who was looking for a better route between Santa Fe and Fort Leavenworth. His brother Richard Kern was killed in 1853, while on the Gunnison-Beckwith Expedition to survey a railroad route that would pass through the Rocky Mountains.



Asia
From 1853 to 1855, Edward Kern served on the ship USS Vincennes (1826) on an expedition to East Asia. The captain, Cadwalader Ringgold, was declared insane when they reached Hong Kong. Kern used both photography and drawing during this trip. The expedition landed on the eastern shores of Siberia, where Kern spent several weeks. They returned home via Tahiti and San Francisco.

In 1858 Edward joined Lieutenant John Mercer Brooke on a survey of the sea lanes between California and China, returning in 1860.

Civil War
During the Civil War, Edward served under Frémont, who had command of the Army of the West, but when Frémont was relieved of command, Edward was as well.

Personal life
Kern suffered from epilepsy, beginning at a young age. Late in life Kern established a studio in Philadelphia.

Edward Kern died in November 1863 of an epileptic seizure, at his home on 1305 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. He was buried in Glenwood Cemetery, and later re-interred in New Glenwood Cemetery.

Legacy
Kern's diaries were discovered under the floorboards in an old hotel in Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania, and provided source material for David Weber's book on Richard Kern (brother of Edward). The diary and papers are now in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has over eighty of Kern's works.

The Kern River and Kern County, both in California, were named for him.