José Cardero facts for kids
José Cardero (born in 1766, last known in 1811) was a talented Spanish artist and draughtsman. He is best known for his amazing drawings from the Alejandro Malaspina expedition and the journey led by Dionisio Alcalá Galiano. During Galiano's trip, a place called Cordero Channel was named in his honor. Other spots in British Columbia were also named after him, like Dibuxante Point. "Dibuxante" is a Spanish word meaning "draughtsman" or "artist."
Contents
Meet José Cardero, the Explorer Artist
Early Life and First Big Voyage
José Cardero was born in 1766 in a town called Écija in Spain. We don't know much about his early life before he joined a big sea adventure in 1789. This journey was led by Alejandro Malaspina on his ship, the Descubierta. José might have started as a servant on the ship.
But soon, people noticed he was really good at drawing! One of the official artists left the expedition in Peru. After that, José Cardero started making drawings all the time. By 1791, when the ships were in Acapulco, New Spain (which is now Mexico), José was officially made an artist and map drawer for the expedition.
Drawing the World: From Alaska to British Columbia
José Cardero sailed with Malaspina all the way to Alaska. There, he drew many pictures of the Tlingit people and the landscapes. After returning to Mexico, Malaspina gave José a new important job. He was assigned to be the artist for another expedition led by Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés. These two officers were also part of Malaspina's team.
Their mission was to explore the Strait of Georgia. José sailed on Valdés's ship, the Mexicana, in 1792. During this voyage, the Spanish explorers met and even worked with George Vancouver. Vancouver was exploring the same area for the British. Both expeditions sailed all the way around Vancouver Island.
Working with Other Explorers
José Cardero's job on the Galiano expedition was very busy. He didn't just make drawings and neat copies of maps. He also joined small boat parties that went out to explore new areas.
After the voyage, many of José's drawings were copied and made even better by other artists. One famous artist was Fernando Brambila, who worked in Madrid. Brambila made very high-quality artwork. However, he had never been to the Pacific Northwest himself. So, sometimes he added details that weren't quite real to José's original drawings.
What Happened Next?
After his exciting journey with Galiano, José Cardero went back to Spain. He worked for a short time with Valdés and Malaspina again. In 1795, he got a new assignment. He became a Ship Accountant in the Spanish Navy and was sent to Cádiz.
His name appeared on a list of permanent officers in the navy from 1797 until 1811. After that year, there are no more records of him. We don't know why his name was removed from the list in 1811.
Places Named After José Cardero
The Cordero Channel was originally called Canal de Cardero. This name was given to honor José Cardero. There is also a street in Vancouver's West End called Cardero Street. This street is named after the channel, which means it's indirectly named after José Cardero himself!
