BARRY, David F. (1854-1934), photographer. Two cabinet cards of Sitting Bull's camp. Bismarck, Dakota Territory, 1880s.

2 cabinet photographs on cardstock mounts, each with imprint of D.F. Barry, Bismarck. Includes: "Sitting Bull's camp at Fort Buford, Dak.," as identified on applied paper label on image, with penciled notation below, "after returning from Canada & surrendering," dated 1881. With pasted label on verso from the "Second International Congress of Eugenics Exhibit of Scientific Studies," held at the American Museum of Natural History in the fall of 1921, with an ownership record of C.F. Fish of South Swansea, Massachusetts. -- View of tipis identified as "Sitting Bull's Camp" in the negative.

Before the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull had had a vision of many soldiers falling upside down into the Lakota camp, interpreted by many that a major victory of the Lakota over American soldiers was coming. Less than a month later, a number of Lakota bands along with the Northern Cheyenne defeated the 7th Cavalry under the command of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, seeming to confirm Sitting Bull's vision. This gave the Hunkpapa leader great influence over many northern Plains peoples.

The Army responded with overwhelming force, causing many to surrender over the next few months. Sitting Bull refused, and instead, took his band into what is now Canada where he remained for the next four years. In 1881, he and most of his band returned and surrendered at Fort Buford then transferred to Fort Yates adjacent to Standing Rock Agency. At least one of the photos offered here shows Sitting Bull's camp at Fort Buford.

The Larry Ness Collection of Native American Photography

This lot is located in Cincinnati.