[WOUNDED KNEE]. A group of 4 photographs of Stinking Bear, Hollow Wood, and Crazy Bear at Pine Ridge Agency. Ca 1890-1891.

4 photographs, 7 1/2 x 4 3/8 in. or smaller, on cardstock mounts, each with verso imprint of the Northwestern Photographic View Company, Chadron, Nebraska, which acquired the negatives from George Trager.

The subjects, who are identified in the negatives, include: Chiefs Stinking Bear, Hollow Wood, and Crazy Bear, each on horseback. Undated, but likely taken in the late fall of 1890. Crazy Bear is shown wearing his striped ghost dance shirt, holding a carved wooden rifle. Stinking Bear is bare-legged, suggesting warm weather at Pine Ridge, and a recent return from his August visit to Nevada where he learned the Ghost Dance from Wovoka, the Paiute shaman. -- "Chief Crazy Bear in Gohst [sic] Dance Suit Killed in the battle at Wounded Knee Dec. 28th 1891. Pine Ridge S.D. No. 15," copyrighted and dated in the negative 1 January 1891. Chief Crazy Bear wears a headdress with an eagle feather trailer and holds a wood riding quirt and rifle in this portrait. The shirt he wears bears no relation to any surviving ghost shirt nor any description. Possibly Trager added the caption to help sell the card. In addition, there is a question as to whether or not this is the Crazy Bear that was killed at Wounded Knee. Either he survived, or this is a different man with the same name, as a later portrait of him exists. -- "Chief Stinking Bear, a Leader of the Friendly Sioux Indians, Pine Ridge, S.D.," copyrighted and dated in the negative 1 January 1891. -- "Chief Hollow Wood," undated, but likely taken ca 1891. -- Together, 4 boudoir photographs.

The Larry Ness Collection of Native American Photography

This lot is located in Cincinnati.

Conditions overall good, with some toning and occasional soiling to prints. Some images are a touch light. Edge and corner wear to mounts.

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Katie Horstman

VP, Head of Department, American Historical Ephemera and Early Photography

[email protected]513.666.4958

Ms. Horstman has spent over a decade specializing in historic photography and Americana at auction. During her tenure, she has overseen several notable single owner auctions, including property from the inventory of celebrated Americana and antique arms expert Norm Flayderman. During her time with the firm, she has maintained an active membership in the Daguerreian Society. Ms. Horstman holds an MA in Art History from the University of Cincinnati and a BA in Art History from The Ohio State University.

American Historical Ephemera and Early Photography, including The Larry Ness Collection of Native American Photography

[WOUNDED KNEE]. A group of 4 photographs of Stinking Bear, Hollow Wood, and Crazy Bear at Pine Ridge Agency. Ca 1890-1891.

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