The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15

er dinEy-looking collection OF lndlan por-
traits confronting the visitor to. the Ma
tional Museum as he enters the gallery
on the right of the main entrance. once
astonshed London. and awakened the in
terest of the people of that vast metropo-
lis on the subject of the North American
Indian TO a then unprecedented extent.
George Catlin, the artist of these pic
lures, exhibited them from the year
1892 in Egyptian Hall. Picadiily, a not
ed place of public amusement in the Brit
ish capital.
MIR. Catlin, who was an energetic and
capable artist, took with him also to Eu-
rope series of sketches which he had
made upon the plains in the very midst
OF that wild life and peoples he has SO
well represented, and worked them up
into finished pictures.
After being exhibited in London, the ga
lery was taken, in 1915, to Paris, where It
awakened positive enthusiasm in the study
of the then practically unknown North
American Indian. The exhibition in Paris
however. came to disastrous termination
in 1SsS, when 1t was turned out of the city
by the reyolutionists, and narrowly es-
capped destruction. MIR. Catlin then re-
moved his gallery to London, but being
induced to enter into the fraudulent imam
cial schemes which eliminated in that city
in 1852, he lost his entire fortune, and his
collection was seized TO satisfy the claims
growing out of his numerous investments.
Mr.. Jospeh Harrison, 1r-, of Philadelphia,
a liberal and patriotic American, being at
the time in London made liberal advances
10 Mr.. Catlin TO meet his liabilities, AID,
as security, took charge of the pictures.
The collection remained in the possession
of the Harrison family, having been re-
moved meanwhile to Philadelphia, until its
presentation by Mrs. Joseph Harrison to
the National Museum. Even in its retired
position IN the Harrison mansion. it ex-
perienced vicissitudes and yand dangers
which threatened Its destruction. having
among other mishaps passed through two
severe fires. Il is worthy of remark that
the unfortunate artist himsef offered the
collection to the Smithsonian authorities
in 1886,
Mr. Catliu published in London, 1904,
a catalogue of his pictures, which was a
copy of the one used in America in 1887
SO, with few additions. It was translated
into French and used during the exhibit
in Paris. The following introduction by
Mr.. Catlin serves TO show his interest in
painting the gallery.
ITO the Reader: l wish to inform the
visitors TO my collection that having some
years since become fully convinced OF the
rapid decline and certain extinction of the
numerous tribes of the North American
Indians. and sesing also the vast impor-
lance and value which a full pictorial his
tory Of these interesting but dying people
might be to future ages-I set out alone, !
unaided and unadvtsed resolved (if my
life should be sparedl by the aid of my
brush and my pen. TO rescue from obliv-
ion so much OF their primitive look and
customs as the industry and ardent en-
thusiasrn of one lifetime could accom-
plish. and SGT them up in a gallery unique
lid imperishable for the use and benefit
of future ages
Il devoted eight years Of my life exclu-
sively TO the accomplishment OF my design
and that with more than expected success.
Il visited with great difficulty and some
hazard TO life. forty-eight tribes (residing
within the United States. British, and |
Mexican territories), containing about $780, |
600 souls. / have seen them in their own J
villages. have carried my canvas and col /
ors the whole way. and painted my por
traits. ETC., from the life, as they now
stand and are seen in the gallery.
"As this immense collection has been
gathered and every painting has been
made from nature, by my own hand-and
that, too. when / have been padding my
canoe or leading my packhorse over and
through trackless wilds, at the hazard OF
my life-the world will surely be kind and
indulgent enough, to receive and estimate
them. as they have been intended as true
and facsimile traces of individual life and
historical facts. and forgive me for their
present unfinished and unstudied condi- t
ton as works Of AIT. GEO. CATLIN." |
Chfeftain of the Sacs.
1t would be impossible to give. with )
in the limits OF a newspaper article. an |
account of the lives OF the eminent /
braves" whose features the brush OF Mr.. /
,atlin has preserved to posterity. There a
lore brief sketch Of only the more prom t
nent Will be given from the unique data t
ately compiled by Thomas Donaldson for {
the use of the Smithsonian Institution.
abor almost as noteworthy that OF the 7
Artist Mr.. Catlin. himself. !
The portraits are divided into those Of {
chiefs OF the various tribes. the Sacs or S
San Kies being first in order. The chief, ]
brave perhaps of this band. notable for
their uprising known as the BLACK I
Hawk was OF 1882. is Kee-o-kuk CWise
Fox). His portrait shows him as in ;
telligent looking man. and he is adorned
with the insignia of his rank. with shield ;
on his arm and staff of Office tsceptre1 in
his hand. necklace OF grisly bears claws. +
over the skin OF a white wolf. on his neck.
1t was not alone by his own people that ;
Kee-o-Kuk was elected chief of the tribe |
During the Black Hawk war he managed
to keep two-thirds of the warriors OF his
nation neutral and was, at the close of
the hos:ilities. appointed chief by General
Winfield Scott, in treaty made with the
consent OF the nation. {
The following is from a description of
his famous chief given by Capt F. r. /
West. of Des Moines Iowa: He (Kee-o- {
Suk) was large man, above the average '
height and fine looking Indian. Going e
Up through the mountains on the Cone Il
naugh River we came to a arrow gorge
he mountains rising to an Immense height Z
IN either side. II was in the evening and 1
he rays Of tho setting sun upon the noun ,
ain tops made scene OF rare beauty. Be-
ore this grandeur and awe-inspiring scene
he chief Keo-o-ruk came upon the deck
md gathered his followers around him :
They had evidently never before seen such
sight. and they were hushed to silence
md the great Indian spoke of the noun .
aims. He performed some sort Of relig- :
Gus ceremony, impressive and grand. II y
eemed to me as though he was praying. y
have often thought OF that wonderful 4
nan standing up in the midst of his people. y
nd the way they sprung up around him Il
nd listened / never before particularly 4
dmired an Indian. but when | saw that I,
mans gestures and heard his wonderful |,
dice, / was filled with admiration. "
ould tell by his gestures and his look o
hat there was an eloquence about it that d
never expected from these wild men" 4
Keokuk's love OF humor was intense. c.
While presiding in his village near the i.
resent town OF Ottumwa, on Sugar Creek, S
n 1898 he received letter from Joseph Il
NTH, tho Mormon prophet inviting the v