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Photographs of Charles Alexandre Lesueur sketches relating to American Indians

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Catalog Data

Creator:
Lesueur, Charles Alexandre, 1778-1846  Search this
Extent:
18 Copy prints
Culture:
Choctaw  Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Copy prints
Photographs
Place:
Indiana -- Antiquities
Kentucky -- Antiquities
Date:
circa 1816-1837
Scope and Contents note:
Photographs of sketches made by Charles Alexandre Lesueur in 1816-1837 documenting archeological sites in Indiana and Kentucky, Choctaw Indians of the Mississippi River in Tennessee and Louisiana, and Plains Indian artifacts, probably seen and sketched at St. Louis, Missouri.
Biographical/Historical note:
Charles Alexandre Lesueur (1778-1846) was born the son of a French naval officer in Le Havre, France. He trained in draughtsmanship at the School of Hydrography and joined an expedition to Australia and Tasmania in 1800. With the support of the expedition's zoologist, Francois Peron, Lesueur learned taxidermy and completed numerous sketches of animals, landscapes, and indigenous Australians. When the expedition ended in 1804, Lesueur made watercolors from his sketches, some of which were exhibited at the Muséum d'Histrorie Naturelle in Paris. He also illustrated Peron's report of the expedition, Voyage de Découvertes aux Terres Australes, with support from Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Starting in 1817, Lesueur left France to tour America with geologist William Maclure. When their tour finished in 1828, Lesueur stayed in the United States, joining Maclure in Philadelphia and becoming a founding member of the Academy of Natural Sciences there. In 1825, Lesueur again joined Maclure at New Harmony, Indiana, where he taught, sketched, and participated in archeological excavations until 1837. After the utopian community at New Harmony ended, Lesueur returned to France. He became curator at the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle du Havre (Museum of Natural History at Le Havre, France), which was built to house his drawings and paintings. He remained there until his death in 1846.
Local Call Number(s):
NAA Photo Lot R4534
Location of Other Archival Materials:
The Museum of Natural History at Le Havre holds the majority of Lesueur's artwork.
The Purdue University Archives and Special Collections holds a collection of Charles Alexandre Lesueur works of art on paper.
Contained in:
Numbered manuscripts 1850s-1980s (some earlier)
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research. Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Rights:
This collection is for reference only. Additional prints should be secured from Victor Genetier, and permission to publish should be secured from the Havre Museum.
Topic:
Indians of North America -- Southern states  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Photo Lot R4534, Photographs of Charles Alexandre Lesueur sketches relating to American Indians, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Identifier:
NAA.PhotoLot.R4534
Archival Repository:
National Anthropological Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nw36169c271-7eed-4f27-9462-a853170b01e5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-naa-photolot-r4534