Photographs by John N. Choate mostly documenting the United States Indian School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The images include portraits of students, parents, staff and other visitors, as well as interior and exterior images of the school, buildings, and classrooms. Choate also had a thriving commercial practice outside of the Indian School, producing studio portraiture as well many photographs of buildings, farms and industry in and around the town of Carlisle, as well as images of Dickinson College. Some of the photographs in the collection were made by other photographers and perhaps collected by Choate. A few copper plates prepared for publications are also included in the collection.
Biographical/Historical note:
John N. Choate (1848-1902) was a commercial photographer in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The United States opened its first non-reservation government-supported school there in 1879 under the supervision of Lt. Richard Henry Pratt. Choate photographed almost every student upon arrival and during their school career, as well as school activities, staff, and visiting chiefs and families. Choate remained the primary photographer for the Carlisle Indian School until his death in 1902.
Local Call Number(s):
NAA Photo Lot 81-12
Reproduction Note:
Contact prints made by Smithsonian Institution, 1981.
Location of Other Archival Materials:
Additional Choate photographs held in National Anthropological Archives MS 4241, MS 4537, MS 4544, MS 4574, MS 4988, Photo Lot 73-8, and Photo Lot 90-1.
Restrictions:
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Rights:
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Photo lot 81-12, John N. Choate photographs of Carlisle Indian School, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
