The Photograph and the American Indian [Hardcover]

Alfred L. Bush (Author), Lee Clark Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 1994

From forbidden snapshots of sacred ceremonies to formal portraits of Native Americans in Victorian dress, photography offers a fascinating record of the complex interplay of attitudes toward the indigenous peoples of the United States. This text examines photographs of Indians by both Native and Anglo Americans, from 1840 to the present, and offers an array of images reproduced with exacting respect for the physical qualities of the photograph as a document. It aims to help us see these photographs not only as historical artifacts but as rich texts that describe their makers as tellingly as their subjects. More than three hundred images relate an important tale of the intrusion of technology into the traditional life of the American Indian, and the political uses both Native Americans and Anglo Americans found for the photograph. These photographs reveal the many agendas of both photographers and American Indians. From images pandering to popular stereotypes to ones that catch troubling realities, these photographs encourage us to consider the photographic enterprise from various perspectives, including those of Native Americans. Contradicting the common notion that Native American photographers are a recent phenomenon, Indians make their appearance as photographers in this work as early as the 1880s with portrayals as varied and conflicted as any by Anglo Americans. The exciting dynamics among multiple American cultures encountering each other through art and technology is documented here. The text provides authoritative dating of the photographs, biographies of the photographers, and a bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The authors, all Princeton faculty, organized a 1985 exhibition on which this book is based. Over 300 images span 150 years of photographs of North American Indians, including those in Mexico and the Arctic; nearly one quarter of the images are by American Indian photographers, beginning in the 1880s. A scholarly essay by Mitchell precedes the plates, which have been arranged in roughly chronological order and are fully captioned with photographer, phtographer's dates, title, phtograph's date, process, and collection source. The high-quality reproductions are faithful to the originals, and the most valuable images are those that document genuine Indian ceremonies, family settings, dress, tools, and postures. This book provides the most complete and balanced survey available on the photography of North American Indians. Highly recommended for ethnic studies, history, and history of photography collections.
Kathleen Collins, New York Transit Museum Archives, Brooklyn
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

From forbidden snapshots of sacred ceremonies to formal portraits of Native Americans in Victorian dress, photography offers a fascinating record of the complex interplay of attitudes toward the indigenous peoples of the United States. The Photograph and the American Indian presents a comprehensive look at photographs of Indians by both Native and Anglo Americans, from 1840 to the present. We are offered a compelling array of images reproduced with exacting respect for the physical qualities of the photograph as a document. Alfred Bush and Lee Mitchell help us see these photographs not only as historical artifacts but as rich texts that describe their makers as tellingly as their subjects. More than three hundred images relate an important tale of the intrusion of technology into the traditional life of the American Indian, and the political uses both Native Americans and Anglo Americans found for the photograph. These photographs reveal the many agendas of both photographers and American Indians. From images pandering to popular stereotypes to ones that catch troubling realities, these photographs encourage us to consider the photographic enterprise from various perspectives, including those of Native Americans. Contradicting the com-mon notion that Native American photographers are a recent phenomenon, Indians make their appearance as photographers in this work as early as the 1880s with portrayals as varied and conflicted as any by Anglo Americans. The exciting dynamics among multiple American cultures encountering each other through art and technology is masterfully documented here. The text provides authoritative dating of the photographs, biographers of the photographers, and an extensive bibliography. This is a treasure house for readers with interests in Native Americans and their history and in the history of photography. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 360 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr; 1st edition edition (September 6, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691034893
• ISBN-13: 978-0691034898
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,144,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A COMPELLING CHRONICLE OF OUR HISTORY, April 11, 2004

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Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Photograph and the American Indian (Hardcover)

Thanks to Alfred Bush and Lee Mitchell for a compelling 150 year photographic chronicle of the history of American Indians.

This volume is the ofspring of an exhibition of the same title that was held at Princeton University, and it's the next best thing to having been there.

The book is the first to hold photographs by american Indian photographers, many of which have not been reproduced before. It's a significant documentary record.