This photograph album contains 18 photographic portraits of American Indian delegates at the U.S. Indian Congress of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in Omaha, Nebraska, 1898. Frank A. Rinehart and Adolph F. Muhr's photographs of the Exposition are considered one of the most comprehensive photo documentations of American Indian leaders at the turn of the century.
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains 18 photographs arranged in an album. The photographs depict portraits of American Indians delegates at the U.S. Indian Congress of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition held in Omaha, Nebraska, between June 1 and October 31, 1898. During the Congress, Frank A. Rinehart (ca. 1862-1928) and/or his assistant Adolph F. Muhr (ca. 1858-1913) photographed more than 500 delegates and groups representing the estimated thirty-five tribes represented at the Exposition.
The photographs that Rinehart and Muhr shot during the Exposition depict the largest gathering of American Indian leaders at the turn of the century. This collection contains only 18 of the hundreds of photographs that Rinehart and Muhr shot at the event.
The photographers assigned the photograph titles.
Biographical / Historical:
The Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition World's Fair was held in Omaha, Nebraska from June 1 to October 1898. Over 500 Indian delegates from over thirty-five different tribes were present at the Fair.
James Mooney (Bureau of Ethnology) and Captain William A. Mercer organized and managed the Indian Congress in conjunction with the Exposition. It included "living exhibitions," with mock Indian villages and demonstrations of dances, daily activities, and sham battles.
The official photographer of the U.S. Indian Congress was Frank A. Rinehart (ca. 1862-1928) with his assistant Adolph F. Muhr (ca. 1858-1913). Rinehart shot the majority of the outdoor battles, dance scenes, and events, while Muhr photographed the majority of the delegate portraits. Rinehart copyrighted the photographs under his own name in 1899 and 1900. The Rinehart and Muhr photographs are considered one of the most comprehensive photo documentations of American Indian leaders at the turn of the century.
Related Materials:
The Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas has a large collection of Frank Rinehart photographs from U.S. Indian Congress of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, including the original glass plate negatives.
The National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center also holds other photographs shot by Rinehart and Muhr at Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, including collection NMAI.AC.119.
Provenance:
Donated by Margaret Cross in 2001.
Restrictions:
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.
Topic:
Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition (1898 : Omaha, Neb.) -- Photographs Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Photograph albums
Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); U.S. Indian Congress of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition photograph album, Photo Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
Photographic portrait of delegate Chief Wets It [Wetsit, ca. 1852-ca. 1910; Assiniboine (Stoney)] in traditional clothing. Photographed at the U.S. Indian Congress of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in Omaha, Nebraska, 1898.
Collection Restrictions:
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); U.S. Indian Congress of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition photograph album, Photo Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.
William Hopper, 85 Yr Old Civil Veteran, John E. Erickson, Montana Governor, and John W. Johnson?, Scout to Gen Miles In 1877, 82 Yrs Old, at Monument Dedication
Simon First Shoot Giving History of Chief Joseph's Surrender And Part Played by Assiniboin to Group of Natives and Two Non-Natives, L. V. Bogy and Chief Justice L. L Callaway
