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LITTLE BIG HORN INDIAN PICTOGRAPH – ORIGINAL
PRINTING OF A COLOR PLATE FROM THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY
REPORT - 1888: This original printing from the
Tenth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology is a full
color plate of a pictograph painting by an American
Indian, likely a Lakota warrior, of the aftermath of the
Battle of the Little Big Horn, depicting the bodies of
the soldiers and warriors.
The Bureau of Ethnology was established in 1879 by an
act of Congress for the purpose of transferring
archives, records and materials relating to the American
Indians from the Interior Department to the
Smithsonian Institution.
In addition, the Bureau prepared exhibits for
expositions, collected anthropological artifacts for the
Smithsonian United States National Museum, and served as
the official repository of documents concerning American
Indians which included photographic work and the
collection of photographs. In 1897, the
Bureau of Ethnology's name changed to the Bureau of
American Ethnology and in 1965, it merged with the
Smithsonian's Department of Anthropology.
First published in 1881, the
Annual
Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of
the Smithsonian Institution
served to showcase some of
the important anthropological studies of the day and
today are still valued by collectors and students alike
for the depth of the information they contain, much of
it gathered in “first person” contacts during the fading
days of the American West. Each of the early annual
reports appear to have featured a single primary work,
focusing on such subjects as language, customs and art
forms, written by one of the notable anthropologists of
the time.
The Tenth Annual Report of
the Bureau of Ethnology was published in 1888, featuring
"Picture-writing of the American Indians," which was
written by Col. Garrick Mallery and consisted of 807
pages, with 54 plates and 1,290 figures.
A native of Pennsylvania, Col. Garrick
Mallery (1831-1894) was educated at Yale and the
University of Pennsylvania, and was a practicing
attorney when the Civil War broke out. Mallery was
appointed as a captain in the 71st
Pennsylvania Infantry, was wounded and captured in 1862,
was interned at Libby Prison and was returned home
during a prisoner exchange. He returned to the field as
a lieutenant colonel of cavalry, and upon the end of the
war, he served as a judge advocate in occupied
Virginia. In 1866 he was mustered out of the volunteer
ranks and accepted a commission in the regular army,
serving in the infantry and the signal corps until his
retirement due to his war time wounds in 1879. During
his assignments in the West, Mallory began to make note
of native languages, sign language, and pictographs and
became recognized for his study in these fields. When
the Bureau of Ethnology was established, Mallery was
invited to participate in the organization’s efforts and
during the balance of his life, contributed several
pamphlets and annual reports to include the 10th
Annual Report.
The original plate offered here was
published in the 10th
Annual Report
of the Bureau of Ethnology,
and is a full sized page from that document, measuring
11” by 6 ˝”, printed on a heavy card-like stock. Above
the image is printed the edition information and at the
bottom of the image is listed the image title. The
image is very clean and retains excellent color with no
fading, and the page is full form and size with very
little wear confined to the very edges of the paper.
The printing captured the hues of the original colored
highlights to include the troopers’ uniforms and the
warriors’ dress, and this piece presents very well as an
excellent example of the Native American pictograph art
form.
It is worth mentioning that
the Indians were known for their accuracy in recounting
their coups and battle honors, and it is very probable
that this is one of the more accurate depictions of the
aftermath of the battle, far more graphic as to the
extent of the mutilation of the bodies of the soldiers.
Keeping in mind the sensibilities of the Victorian Age,
it is likely that much of this sort of damage to the
fallen was omitted from reports and letters home, so
this pictograph is very likely closer to the true
appearance of the dead.
While a printing of the
artwork, and not an original (you can only imagine what
the original piece would sell for), this pictograph was
printed and published during the Indian War era and
would be a nice compliment to a display, framed and
exhibited with your collections. (C-119) $50
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