Vignetted bust portrait of Navajo student Tom Torlino "as he arrived" at Carlisle (ink spotting throughout image including on subject's eyes, some staining and soiling throughout, with significant wear to mount edges and corners). -- Vignetted bust portrait of the same student "3 1/2 years later" (soiling, few ink spots, wear to mount edges and corners). -- Together, 2 boudoir cards featuring Navajo Tom Torlino, before and after being "civilized" by the school. Each approx. 5 1/8 x 7 3/4 in. on cardstock mounts, framed together to 18 1/8 x 15 3/4 in. (not examined out of frame). Mount rectos blindstamped "Choate" to lower left and "Carlisle, Pa." to lower right, and with period ink inscriptions identifying the subject. 

Tom Torlino entered the school at Carlisle on 21 October 1882 and departed on 28 August 1886. At some point during Tom's time at the school, the Bureau of Indian Affairs must have enquired as to Tom's health, perhaps suggesting that he should be returned back to his home. This prompted a written reply (not included in this lot) from Superintendent Richard Henry Pratt, dated 4 January 1886, insisting that no issues with Torlino's health were discovered when he was examined by the school physician, and that he should remain at Carlisle to finish out his enrollment term. Pratt writes again in August of that year, requesting to send Torlino home to serve as an example of the benefits of the school.

John N. Choate (1848-1902) began a long photographic career at Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1879 when the famous Carlisle Indian Industrial School was founded. Superintendent Pratt commissioned Choate to take these "before and after" portraits to document the progress his school was making in "civilizing" the students. The photographs were distributed widely, to Native American reservations to recruit new students, and to United States officials and wealthy donors to encourage their support.