Lot 637
[NATIVE AMERICANS]. BARRY, David F. (1854-1934), photographer. A collection of 51 photographs of Native American subjects, George Armstrong Custer, and personalities and places associated with the Battle of Little Bighorn.
Sale 960 - American Historical Ephemera & Photography
Nov 15, 2021
11:00AM ET
Live / Cincinnati
Own a similar item?
Estimate
$15,000 -
25,000
Price Realized
$18,750
Sold prices are inclusive of Buyer’s Premium
Lot Description
[NATIVE AMERICANS]. BARRY, David F. (1854-1934), photographer. A collection of 51 photographs of Native American subjects, George Armstrong Custer, and personalities and places associated with the Battle of Little Bighorn.
51 photographs, most 9 5/8 x 7 5/8 in. or 6 1/4 x 8 3/8 in. mounted to 13 3/4 x 10 3/4 in. black paper album pages. (A few photos have become loose from mount, not removed from mounts; some chipping to mount edges). With 15 3/8 x 11 1/8 in. steel and flexible cloth board album (front board detached, cloth lacking on spine). All pages disbound from album. 29 of the images with D.F. Barry copyright blind stamp, 1 hand-signed by Barry, 1 hand-signed and with stamp, 20 with no apparent photographer's mark. Each image is captioned in white ink to mount, usually identifying the subject or locale and often with some historical context.
A remarkable album of photographs by pioneer photographer David Francis Barry complete with portraits of some of the most significant figures of the late Indian Wars, especially the Battle of LIttle Big Horn, including Chief Rain-in-the-Face, George Armstrong Custer, Chief Gall, Sitting Bull, "Buffalo Bill" Cody, Chief Low Dog, and others. Includes a dual portrait of the photographer himself next to Chief Rain-in-the-Face. Other notable subjects include Sioux war dancers, Reno Hill reenactment, and Fort Abraham Lincoln.
Provenance: Attributed to be from the collection of the photographer, David F. Barry. (Accompanying letter states that Barry received a permit to open a post office about 6 miles from Coulée Dam, [Washington] in 1870. The document states, "three years later he sold his place to Sam Stevenson + His Wife, [whose] son Harvey Stevenson is Sandy Robert's Brother in Law. Mrs. Stevenson ran the P.O. for 50 years." The document continues, "And Sandy finds the pictures in this album copyrighted by D. F. Barry." It could not be confirmed independently that Barry founded and ran a post office, however, there is a Barry St. approximately 6 miles from Coulée Dam. And the majority of images are copyrighted by Barry).
Complete list of titles (from hand-written captions):
Sioux War Dance at Standing Rock. -- Chief Rain-in-the-Face. Sioux.
Sitting Bull. Sioux Medicine Man. -- Sioux Indian War Dancers. Ready for the Ghost Dance. -- Sitting Bull Sioux Medicine Man. Col. Wm. F. Cody. "Buffalo Bill." -- Chief Gall. (Hostile). Sioiux. Leader in the Custer Battle. June 25, 1876. -- Grave of Koska, son of Rain-in-the-Face. Sioux. -- David F. Barry. Chief Rain-in-the-Face. Sioux. (6 1/4 x 8 3/8 in.) -- Comanche, only surviving horse of the Custer Fight. June 25, 1876. Capt. Keogh's Horse. (8 3/8 x -- Sioux Burial Place. Standing Rock Reservation. Burial Place of a Chief. -- Monument on the Custer Battlefield. -- Chief Running Antelope - A Sioux Orator. -- Reno Crossing, Little Big Horn River. Location of Indian village in 1876. -- Reno Hill. -- Chief Rain-in-the-Face. Sioux. (Pictured on horseback). -- Wives and daughters of Sitting Bull. "Her Lodge in Sight." "Her Four Robes." "Seen by the Nation." "Standing Holy." -- Curley, General Custer's Scout. A Crow Indian. -- Chief John Grass. Great Orator of the Sioux. -- Chief Low Dog. Chief of Gall's band of Indians. Captured at Poplar River, Montana. Winter, 1880. -- Curley, Crow Scout. (5 x 7 in.) -- Mrs. Elizabeth Custer New York City. 1917. -- Gen. Custer. Killed June 25, 1876, Big Horn River. -- Trumpeter Martin. Delivered Custer's lost orders to Gen. Benteen to bring up pack train. (New York City, 1917.) -- Charles Reynolds. Custer's Scout. -- Fort Abraham Lincoln. Starting-place of Custer Expedition - May 17, 1876. -- Steamer "Far West" Which brought the dead after the Custer fight. -- Major Tom M. McDougall. In command of the Pack train Custer fight. June 25, 1876. -- Skirmish line along the Ridge where Custer dismounted. Taken June 25, 1886. Tenth anniversary of Custer Fight. Gen. Baldwin's company firing. -- Gen. F.W. Benteen. -- Capt. Tom Custer. Killed in Custer Fight with his brother, Gen. Custer. -- Major Reno. -- Sitting Bull - Sioux Medicine Man. -- Winona or Shooting Star. A Sioux Beauty. -- Chief Rain-in-the-Face and his second wife. -- Sioux Indian woman and child, "Black Eyes." -- Stella Botineau. Quarter breed Sioux. -- Chief Crow-King. Took a leaidng part in the Custer Battle. -- Two snapshots of "Buffalo Bill," Col. W.F. Cody. Taken in Muskegon, Michigan. October, 1916. -- Indian Woman at Grave of Child. -- Crowfoot, Sitting Bull's son. Killed with his father. Grand River, S.D. Dec. 15, 1890. -- Chief Gall's wife. -- A few who attended the funeral of Major McLaughlin. Major McLaughlin died in Washington, D.C. July 28, 1923. Buried at McLaughlin, S.D. Age. 81. In U.S. Service 53 years. -- Chief Rain-in-the-Face. Sioux. Cause of the Custer Fight. LIttle Big Horn River. Montana. -- Chief Gall. (Friendly). -- Chief Good Horse. Pine Ridge Sioux. -- Chief Bullhead. Killed Sitting Bull. Dec. 15, 1890. Grand River, South Dakota. -- Spotted Tail - A Sioux "Masher." His failing caused his death. -- Chief Joseph. Leader of the Nez Perce Indians. -- Chief Bullhead. Indian Policeman. -- Chief Blackbird. Chippewa. Odanah Reservation 1915. -- D.F. Barry. "Little Shadow Catcher" Major James McLaughlin. Chief Indian Inspector US Department of Interior. Author of "My Friend the Indians"
Condition Report
Contact Information
Auction Specialist