Kills First, Sioux Indian
date: label: Date made
content: ca 1898
name: label: maker
content: Kasebier, Gertrude
notes: label: Description
content: In 1898 New York photographer Gertrude Käsebier (1852-1934) embarked on a deeply personal project, creating a set of prints that rank among the most compelling of her celebrated body of work. Käsebier was on the threshold of a career that would establish her as both the leading portraitist of her time and an extraordinary art photographer. Her new undertaking was inspired by viewing the grand parade of Buffalo Bill's Wild West troupe en route to Madison Square Garden for several weeks of performances.
label: Description
content: Käsebier had spent her childhood on the Great Plains, and retained many vivid, happy memories of playing with nearby Native American children. She quickly sent a letter to William "Buffalo Bill" Cody (1846-1917), requesting permission to photograph in her studio the Sioux Indians traveling with the show. Within weeks, Käsebier began a unique and special project photographing the Indian men, women, and children formally and informally. Friendships developed, and her photography of these Native Americans continued for more than a decade.
label: Description
content: Kills First looks directly into the camera for the first of two portraits by Käsebier. In the second, he holds two arrows and turns in profile, allowing closer inspection of his clothing and the feathers, beads, and medallions of his attire.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Portraits
label: Subject
content: Native Americans
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Photographic History
label: See more items in
content: Gertrude Kasebier
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content: Photography
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Delaney, Michelle. Buffalo Bill's Wild West Warriors: A Photographic History by Gertrude Kasebier
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Mina Turner
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PG.69.236.018
label: accession number
content: 287543
label: catalog number
content: 69.236.018
objectType: label: Object Name
content: platinum print
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: platinum print (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: image: 18.5 cm x 12.2 cm; 7 5/16 in x 4 13/16 in