Title: Native American Cartes-de-Visite
Inclusive Dates: circa 1860-circa 1880

Call Number: PH 6024

Quantity: 39 photographs (1 box)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Cartes-de-visite of Native Americans, circa 1860-1880. The majority of the images are studio portraits of Native Americans in traditional dress with additional images of Native Americans on horseback and seated in front of tents. Also included are carte-de-visite reproductions of drawings of Native Americans.

Note:

There is a restriction on access to this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.

This collection has been digitized and is available online: see contents list.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-ph06024

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Thirty-nine carte-de-visite studio portraits are assembled in this collection of Native Americans. It is divided by tribes of the Northwest Coast and the Plains. There are in addition three unlisted tribes, two of which are possibly of the Northwest Coast. Of the Northwest Coast tribes, the Chief of the Chilicat, Cedakunim, is shown with his son Benjamin.

The Sioux portraits were taken in Sioux City, Iowa, about 1870. There are six photographic prints on original mounts, photographed by Gurnsey and J.H. Hamilton. They have typescript biographical notes by Oliver Lemere inspired by the Minnesota lore of the Dakota War (Indian Massacre) of 1862. The Minnesota Sioux (four Dakota sub-tribes) signed a treaty in 1851, which was perceived as deceptive and inadequate and provoked an attack under the leadership of Chief Little Crow. Some 700 settlers, 100 soldiers, and 150 Sioux were killed before the Sioux were driven out to join the other Dakotas on the Plains.

The images provide information about the saviors as well as details of those who slaughtered during the wars on the plains. It includes a woman named Old Bets who was shown appreciation for her sympathetic assistance to settlers taken as prisoners in the War of 1862 and Winema, called the Woman Chief, who saved the life of Colonel Meacham in the Modoc War.

Other Plains chiefs in the collection include Bitter Man, the Ojibwe (Chippewa) Chief of the Pillager Band in Minnesota, and Joseph Brant, chief of the Six Nations (Mohawk, Cayuga, Onandaga, Oneida, Seneca, and Iroquois).

Photocopies of these images are filed in the Native American classified files.

Access Restrictions

Patrons must use the reference photocopies prior to requesting original cartes-de-visite.

Acquisition Information

Presented by F.L. Paxson, 1912 [?, ?, etc.]. Transferred from Native American classified files.

PH 6024	Cheyenne
Box   1 Item   1	Six Cheyenne men on horseback Note: WHi Image ID: 27522.
	Chippewa (Ojibwe)
Item   2a	Bitter Man, Chief of Pillager Band Note: WHi Image ID: 27524.
Item   2b	Po-Go-Nay-Ke-Shick (Hole in the Day). Note: The celebrated Chippewa chief. WHi Image ID: 27523.
Item   2c	Po-Go-Nay-Ke-Shick, celebrated Chippewa chief Note: WHi Image ID: 27525.
Item   2d	Celebrated Chippewa Chief Po-Go-Nay-Ke-Shick Note: WHi Image ID: 27528.
	Clallam
Item   3	Native American of the Clallum Tribe Note: Clallam, Vancouver Island, Victoria man. WHi Image ID: 27533.
	Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations
Item   4	Cedakunim and his son, Benjamin Note: Cedakumin, chief of the Clyaquot Indians, seated next to his son, Benjamin. WHi Image ID: 27521.
	Cree
Item   5	The “Fox,” Cree chief (Algonquian), circa 1870 Note: WHi Image ID: 27536.
	Modoc
Item   6a	Modoc Captain Jack, leader in the Modoc War Note: Ghientpoos, [Kintpuash?] Teiolools. Captain Jack. WHi Image ID: 27540.
Item   6b	Winema, Modoc chief Note: Portrait of Modoc Chief Winema, a woman chief who saved the life of Colonel Meacham in the Modoc War. WHi Image ID: 27546.
	Mohawk
Item   7a	John Brant Note: John Brant, son of Joseph Brant, and member of the Mohawk tribe. From an 1838 portrait by Charles Bird King. WHi Image ID: 27552.
Item   7b	Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) Note: Portrait of Mohawk Captain Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea). From original 1806 oil painting by Ezra Ames. WHi Image ID: 27554.
Item   7c	Mohawk Chief Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant) Note: Principal chief and warrior of the Six Nation Native Americans. Thayendanegea was born on the Ohio River in 1742 and died at Wellington Square, Upper Canada in 1807. From original Ames painting. WHi Image ID: 27555.
	Pawnee
Item   8	Yellow Sun Note: Convicted murderer of Edward McMurty. WHi Image ID: 27614.
	Sioux
Item   9a	Anpetu-tokeca (Other Day) Note: Anpetutokeca rescued sixty-two persons from the Massacre of 1862 in Minnesota. WHi Image ID: 27615.
Item   9b	Cut Nose Note: Who in the Massacre of 1862, in Minnesota, murdered 18 women and children and 5 men. WHi Image ID: 27616.
Item   9c	Mrs. Ed St. Cyr (He-no-nee-kaw) Note: Portrait of Mrs. Ed St. Cyr (He-no-nee-kaw), of the Sioux tribe. The text on the back reads: “Mrs. Ed. St. Cyr. She died about two years ago. I helped dig her grave. Her first husband was Little Priest, and she was the only woman on the scouting expedition of which he was the leader. Her Indian name was He-no-nee-kaw (eldest daughter).” -- Oliver Lemere, 1926. WHi Image ID: 27617.
Item   9d	Sioux Native Americans and wigwams near St. Paul Note: WHi Image ID: 27618.
Item   9e	Mrs. Alexander (Elick) St. Cyr Note: The text on the back reads: “She came back to Wisconsin, has been dead some time. ” -Oliver Lemere, 1926. WHi Image ID: 27619.
Item   9f	Old Bets Note: Sioux woman, “120 years old, will long be remembered with gratitude by many of the Minnesota Captives for her kindness to them while among the Sioux in 1862.” WHi Image ID: 27620.
Item   9g	Papoose Note: WHi Image ID: 27621.
Item   9h	Sha-kpe (Little Six) Note: Sioux chief engaged in the Massacre of 1862 and boasted of having killed thirteen women and children. WHi Image ID: 27624.
Item   9i	Te-He-Do-Ne-Cha (One Who Forbids His House) Note: Sioux warrior who was executed at Mankato for his involvement in the Massacre of 1862. WHi Image ID: 27630.
Item   9j	U-Se-Do-Ha, Dakota (Sioux) Belle Note: WHi Image ID: 27633.
Item   9k	Sioux Village of Yankton (Dakota Territory) Note: From Martin's Gallery of Minnesota views. WHi Image ID: 27639.
Item   9l	Wa-Kan-O-Zhan-Zhan (Medicine Bottle) Note: Wa-Kan-O-Zhan-Zhan engaged in the Massacre of 1862 and was a prisoner at Fort Snelling. WHi Image ID: 27646.
Item   9m	William Riley Note: WHi Image ID: 27647.
	Salish
Item   10	Sangish (Salish) Woman Note: Songish [of the Salish people] Victoria, Vancouver Islands woman. WHi Image ID: 27870.
	Ute
Item   11	Three Ute men Note: WHi Image ID: 27871.
	Ho-Chunk (Winnebago)
Item   12a	Henry Brown Note: Three-quarter length portrait of Henry Brown, sitting. “Henry Brown, died in Nebraska some time ago.” Oliver Lemere, 1926. WHi Image ID: 27875.
Item   12b	Henry Rice and Hoon-jah-gah (Bearskin) Note: Bearskin was a member of the Bear Clan and a leader in the medicine lodge. Bearskin's son, John, lived in Nebraska. WHi Image ID: 27876.
Item   12c	Henry Rice Note: WHi Image ID: 27877.
Item   12d	Captain Whitewood (Mah-na-pay-honch-nee-kaw) and Mr. Tucker Note: Seated portrait of Captain Whitewood (Mah-na-pay-honch-nee-kaw) and Mr. Tucker, both of the Ho-Chunk tribe. Whitewood was a member of the Bear Clan, a soldier chief, and was called “captain” by non-Indian people. WHi Image ID: 27878.
Item   12e	Moccasin, circa 1885 Note: Early carte-de-visite of a Ho-Chunk man identified as Moccasin. The backdrop indicates the photograph came from Charles Van Schaick's studio, but it may have been produced by an earlier photographer. WHi Image ID: 27881.
Item   12f	Songjonmanneekaw (Henry Rice) Note: Full-length portrait of Songjonmanneekaw (Henry Rice) of the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) tribe posed standing next to a chair covered with a cloth. Songjonmanneekaw was the son of Chief Little Hill and was a renowned medicine man. He died around 1911 in Wisconsin. “... Probably of the Eagle clan.” -Oliver Lemere. WHi Image ID: 27883.
Item   12g	Grey Wolf Note: Portrait of Grey Wolf, brother of Little Priest, sitting and holding a rifle. Grey Wolf “was wounded in a skirmish. Died about 1906 in Nebraska,” according to Oliver Lemere. WHi Image ID: 24111.
Item   14	Yellow Thunder Note: Seated portrait of Yellow Thunder of the Ho-Chunk tribe, wearing a white scarf. WHi Image ID: 27886.
	Unspecified tribes
Item   13	Group of three Native Americans Note: WHi Image ID: 27884.
Item   15	Native American in dark overcoat, possibly Northcoast Tribe Note: WHi Image ID: 27885.