Drake's Plate of Brass. California Historical Society, 1937.

Drake’s Plate of Brass.
San Francisco: California Historical Society, 1937.
(SPL) E129 .D7 C32 1937
Special Collections, UWM Libraries

In the early 1930s, Kennedy began printing for the California Historical Society, producing their quarterly newsletters and elevating the status of the production among other American historical publications as a result of his excellent execution.

Drake’s Plate of Brass is a book on the artifact that was purported to be the plaque that Francis Drake posted upon landing in Northern California in 1579. The plate came to public attention in 1936, but questions were raised about its authenticity because of the wording and manufacture of the plate. After 40 years, the plaque was finally found to be a hoax after chemical testing confirmed its lack of authenticity. This book was published in 1937 and seemingly supports the legitimacy of the brass plate, and provides detailed evidence, maps, and photographs to validate the claim.