Portraits of Native Americans made by Charles Milton Bell in his Washington, DC studio. Depicted individuals include Red Cloud, Oglala; Spotted Tail, Brule; Quanah Parker, Comanche; Nawat, Arapaho; Scabby Bull, Arapaho; Wolf Robe, Cheyenne; D. W. Bushyhead, Cherokee; John Jumper, Seminole; Plenty Coups, Crow; Rushing Bear, Arikara; Gall, Hunkpapa; John Grass, Sihasapa; Lean Wolf, Hidatsa; Chief Joseph, Nez Perce; and Lone Wolf, Kiowa; as well as people associated with Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. The collection also includes copies of some images by other photographers, including G. G. Rockwood and F. T. Cummins.
Biographical/Historical note:
Charles Milton Bell (circa 1849-1893) was the youngest member of a family of photographers that operated a studio in Washington, DC, from around 1860-1874. Bell established his own studio on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1873 and it rapidly became one of the leading photography studios in the city. Bell developed the patronage of Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, who sent Native American visitors to the studio to have their portraits made. Bell also made photographs of Native Americans for the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of American Ethnology.
Local Call Number(s):
NAA Photo Lot 80, NAA MS 4661
Location of Other Archival Materials:
Copy prints previously filed in MS 4661 have been relocated and merged with Photo Lot 80. These are also copy prints of Bell negatives that were acquired from Boyce and form part of this collection.
Additional C. M. Bell photographs held in National Anthropological Archives Photo Lot 4420, Photo Lot 24, Photo Lot 60, Photo Lot 81-44, Photo lot 87-2P, 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.
Topic:
Indians of North America -- Southern states Search this
0.23 Cubic feet (consisting of .5 box, plus digital images of some collection material.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Ephemera
Business ephemera
Date:
circa 1888-1940
Summary:
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Wild West forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Scope and Contents:
This subject category- Wildwest consists of materials relating to the portrayal of America's Western frontier. The material focuses on the romantic ideal of the west and the people in it rather than factual information. This includes material from and about Buffalo Bill's Wild West show and other performance events, as well as images and publications base on the romanticized ideal of a Wildwest. The collection spans the dates 1888-1940 and has items from diverse locations. The collection is organized by type of material.
Series 1, Programs, 1889-1938; undated, consists of programs from various live shows that portrayed the lifestyle and events of America's Western Frontier including Buffalo Bill's Wild West, Cheyenne Frontier Days, and The World Series Rodeo. The programs are all illustrated and are arranged by event name.
Series 2, Advertisements, undated, consists of materials advertising events that focus on America's west. This includes Cheyenne Frontier Days and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and movies set in the west. The advertisements are mostly broadsides or pamphlets and are all illustrates; none are dated.
Series 3, Correspondence, 1897-1915, consists of correspondence regarding traveling shows such as Buffalo Bill's Wild West, Broncho John Wild West, California All Star Wild West, Carlisle's Historical Wild West Show, and 101 Ranch. The correspondence is primarily between the show manager and a local host or show sponsor. The series is arranged by touring company then chronologically.
Series 4, Publications, 1893-1940, contains books and periodicals about America's Western frontier. One book is on the history of the west and Buffalo Bill, and one is a collection of Rodeo songs. The other published works are fictional stories set in the west.
Series 5, Images,1888;undated, contains images of the American west and people associated with the west. Illustrations are of scenes from the west, the photographs are portraits of William Cody "Buffalo Bill", Annie Oakley, Pawnee Bill, and Henry Brown. The postcards are images of people connected with the west including Calamity Jane, Buckskin Bill, Tex Ritter and others. Other postcards are drawings and staged scenes of cowboys. The image series also contains a piece of leather work showing an image of William Cody.
Materials in the Archives Center:
Archives Center Collection of Business Americana (AC0404)
Forms Part Of:
Forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana.
Missing Title
Series 1: Business Ephemera
Series 2: Other Collection Divisions
Series 3: Isadore Warshaw Personal Papers
Series 4: Photographic Reference Material
Provenance:
Wild West is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Genre/Form:
Ephemera
Business ephemera
Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Wild West, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Collection documents Wild West Shows in Oklahoma and Washington, particularly the career of Lewis Frederick Foster who was known for his showmanship and skills.
Scope and Contents:
Consists of two scrapbook albums documenting the career of Lewis Frederick Foster. Materials also relate to western shows, rodeos, Buffalo Bill Cody, Pawnee Bill, and the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. Many other individual showmen, including American Indians, are also represented. Information in the collection indicates that Foster was an amateur photographer. It is unclear if the photographs are the work of Foster or if he assembled the album himself.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Lewis Frederick Foster was born in Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts to James Foster and Elizabeth T. Frederick on September 19, 1861. He married Leona [Rosamond] Stockman on September 30, 1890 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Fosters had one daughter Leona Rosamond born in 1897. Foster
performed on horseback in shows across the West including the Wild West Show in Oklahoma, the Frontier Show in Cheyenne, Washington, and the 101 Ranch Wild West Show. He was known as a 'Rough and Fancy Rider' and a 'Revolver Expert'. Foster died on March 4, 1924 at the age of sixty- two in Modesto, Stanislaus County, California and is buried in Acacia Memorial Park.
Related Materials:
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Archives Center Wild West Collection, NMAH.AC.1466
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, NMAH.AC.0060
Sonora Carver Papers, NMAH.AC0.521
Provenance:
Donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1933 by Foster's sister, Louise T. Foster, and his brother, John H. Foster.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Composed primarily of photographs and newspaper clippings. Subjects include Lewis Frederick Foster, his daughter Leona Rosamond, notorious outlaws the Dalton brothers, Pawnee Bill of the Wild West Show, various cowboys and performers, and members of the Sioux and Apache tribes. Newspaper clippings contain coverage of the Annual Frontier Celebration in Cheyenne, and smaller competitions across the country including and women participating in male-dominated rodeos.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
L.F. Foster Wild West Scrapbooks, Photographs, and Copy Negatives, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Includes images of Native Americans, Lulu Bell Parr, Joe C. Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Tantilinger, Pawnee Bill, May Leille and others.
Collection Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
L.F. Foster Wild West Scrapbooks, Photographs, and Copy Negatives, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Access to NMAI Archives 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:
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or broadbast materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.
Collection Citation:
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Frank C. and Clara G. Churchill collection, NMAI.AC.058, National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.
Indians of North America -- Great Plains Search this
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Frames
Date:
1873-1880
Local Numbers:
NAA MS 4723
Local Note:
U. S. National Museum Accession Number 5251 (Catalog Numbers 22,413-22,457) is a collection of ethnological specimens received from Griest in March, 1876.
Indians of North America -- Great Plains Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
undated
Scope and Contents:
All identifications are from individual portraits in the Bell Collection, which were identified by Bell as follows: Front row: 1. Yellow Lodge (S.I. Negative 52505). 3. Iron Ore (S.I. Negative 52823). Second row: 1. Little Dog (S.I. Negative 52824) 3. Walking Crow (S.I. Negative 52508). 4. Pawnee Bill (S.I. 52521) 5. Spotted Tail Jr (S.I. Negative 52507) 7. Kettle (S.I. Negative 52821) Third row: 2. a white man 3. a white man. Fourth row: Little Horse (S.I. Negative 52822)
Indians of North America -- Great Plains Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
undated
Scope and Contents:
All identifications are from individual portraits in the Bell Collection, which were identified by Bell as follows: Front row: 1. Yellow Lodge (S.I. Negative 52505). 2. Daughter of Yellow Lodge (S.I. Negative 52505) 4. Iron Ore (S.I. Negative 52823). Second row: 1. Little Dog (S.I. Negative 52824) 3. Walking Crow (S.I. Negative 52508). 4. Pawnee Bill (S.I. Negative 52521) 5. Spotted Tail Jr (S.I. Negative 52507) 7. Kettle (S.I. Negative 52821) Third row: 2. a white man 3. a white man. Fourth row: Little Horse (S.I. Negative 52822)
