Native American Photography at the Smithsonian: The Shindler Catalogue

Book Description
A captivating collection of photographs of tribal leaders at a critical and poignant moment in Native American history These hauntingly beautiful Native American portraits reflect the tragic history of the Cheyenne, Sioux, Pawnee, Cherokee, and other tribes whose leaders traveled to Washington in the mid-nineteenth century to negotiate treaties with the U.S. government. As compelling as the famous photographs of Edward S. Curtis, these unique images provide a close-up, unromanticized record of Native American life at the beginning of the great westward expansion of U.S. territory. The photographs form the core not only of the Smithsonian’s extensive collection of Native American photographs but of many collections in museums around the world. Paula Fleming recounts the intriguing history of this collection, which was the Smithsonian’s—and perhaps the country’s—first photographic exhibit. A succinct biography of A. Zeno Shindler, the photographer, is followed by a thoughtful examination of the key events surrounding the Indian delegations in Washington. The 325 halftones are accompanied by the correct identifications of the images, providing for the first time a comprehensive picture of a poignant moment in history.

About the Author
Paula Richardson Fleming is the photographic archive specialist at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Anthropological Archives and author of Grand Endeavors of American Indian Photography.


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"This book of hauntingly beautiful Native American portraits reflects the tragic history of the Cheyenne, Sioux, Pawnee, Cherokee, and other groups whose leaders traveled to Washington in the mid-nineteenth century to negotiate treaties with the U.S. government. As compelling as the famous photographs of Indians by Edward S. Curtis, these unique images provide a close-up, unromanticized record of Native American life at a critical time in the history of relations between the U.S. government and Native Americans, just after the Civil War and at the beginning of the great westward expansion of U.S. territories. The images form the core not only of the Smithsonian's extensive collection of Native American photographs but of important collections in many other major museums around the world. They were, moreover, the primary material for what was perhaps the first photographic exhibit ever in an American museum." In her introduction to the photographs, Paula Fleming of the National Anthropological Archives recounts the history of the Smithsonian's first photographic exhibit and catalogue, provides a brief biography of the photographer A. Zeno Shindler, describes the Indian delegations' activities in Washington, and for the first time provides correct credits and information concerning these extraordinary photographs.


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