Albumen photograph of Wild West Performers
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1905
name: label: Photograph by
content: Unidentified
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Man or Men
label: Subject of
content: Unidentified Woman or Women
notes: label: Caption
content: This picture of American western entertainers, particularly notable for its display of ethnic and gender diversity, is an example of the uniqueness that also characterized the internationally popular Buffalo Bill’s performing Congress of Rough Riders of the World. The Riders consisted largely of former U. S. and foreign military veterans, recruited to re-enact a highly sensationalized, literal “theater” of wars, skirmishes, weapons and equestrian skill. Traveling troupes like the one pictured, created profound impressions of race relations in and beyond the Americas that last to this day.
label: Description
content: An albumen print depicting Wild West Performers. Captured outdoors, the image shows a large crowd of diverse individuals, both men and women, arranged sitting and standing in groups along riser seating, a long curtain strung behind them. Prominently featured in the back center is a teepee structure with several individuals in indigenous American style dress, some with feather headdress. In the center middle, below the teepee structure, is a group of white men in dark suits, and below them is a group of men in military style dress with tall hats, some holding musical instruments. Sitting on the ground at bottom center is a group of white women, some dressed as cowgirls. Among the crowd on the left side are more individuals in varied Native American dress, men in white turbans, a group of men in Prussian military style uniforms with eagle insignias on their hats, a group of men in sombreros, and a group of men dressed as cowboys and vaqueros, two holding lasso ropes. Among the crowd on the right side are more individuals in a variety of styles of American Indian dress, a black man holding a tuba, individuals in draped keffiyeh-style headscarves, and, along the bottom, a group of young men in light colored jackets, pants, tall spats, and hats reading [OZ], holding rifles. On the reverse of the photograph are various numerical inscriptions made in graphite.
place: label: Place depicted
content: United States, North and Central America
label: Cultural Place
content: Mexico, Latin America, North and Central America
label: Cultural Place
content: Argentina, Latin America, South America
label: Cultural Place
content: Russia, Europe
label: Cultural Place
content: Germany, Europe
label: Cultural Place
content: Middle East
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Actors
label: Topic
content: American West
label: Topic
content: Amusements
label: Topic
content: Buffalo Soldiers
label: Topic
content: Entertainers
label: Topic
content: International affairs
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: Musicians
label: Topic
content: Photography
label: Topic
content: Race relations
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1865-1921
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Photographs and Still Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2013.244.38
objectType: label: Type
content: albumen prints
label: Type
content: portraits
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public Domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: albumen and silver nitrocellulose on paper (fiber product) cardboard
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Image): 4 7/16 x 6 5/8 in. (11.2 x 16.8 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Sheet): 5 1/8 x 7 1/16 in. (13 x 17.9 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (Mount): 7 1/16 x 9 in. (17.9 x 22.9 cm)