National Anthropological Archives

MS 7129 Silhouettes of members of a 1805-06 delegation to Washington and others

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.MS7129
Creators:
Peale's Museum (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Peale, Charles Willson, 1741-1827
Williams, Moses, 1776-1833
Dates:
1806 February
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
13 Items
silhouette-negative cut-outs, cream colored paper with backing of black paper
4 x 5 inches
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The collection consists of thirteen (13) silhouettes produced by the Peale Museum.
Included are images of Shegagahega (Chaticks Si Chaticks/Pawnee); Pagesgatse (Chaticks Si Chaticks/Pawnee); Tahawarra (probably Missouria/Missouri); Macapaba (probably Missouria/Missouri); Waconsca (probably Kaw/Kansa); Sagessage ("The Wind"; Osage); Joseph Barron (spelled "Joseph Baume" on image), interpreter; and Paul Chouteau (Osage), interpreter. There are two items labeled number 10, one of which is possibly Mechenecka (Sac and Fox/Sauk & Fox).
The other silhouettes are undated. They include two labeled "Titian R. Peale" (Charles Willson Peale's son), and one labeled "Black Hawk's son."
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.

Historical Note

Historical Note
In December 1805, Thomas Jefferson hosted a delegation of representatives of Native American tribes from Louisiana Territory in Washington D.C. In January 1806, several members of the delegation traveled to Philadelphia. There they visited Charles Willson Peale's Museum and had their silhouettes made.
Charles Willson Peale (1741–1827) was an American painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist who established one of the first museums in the United States, known as Peale's Philadelphia Museum. The silhouettes were made using a physiognotrace, a device developed by British inventor John Hawkins (1772-1855) which allowed the artist to produce multiple silhouettes simultaneously by impressing a traced image onto a folded piece of paper. The artist then cut away the center of the paper, leaving a "hollow cut" image. African American artist Moses Williams (1776-1883), an indentured servant of Peale, cut thousands of silhouettes for visitors to the museum and may be the artist responsible for the silhouettes in this collection.

Administration

Custodial History
Donated to the Department of Civil History, Museum of History and Technology by Catherine Bullowa in September 1958 (Accession 222,036). Transferred from the Division of Domestic Life, NMHT on December 7, 1979 (arrived in National Anthropological Archives in March 1980).

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Preferred Citation
MS 7129 Silhouettes of members of a 1805-06 delegation to Washington, and others, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

More Information

Local Numbers

Local Numbers
NAA MS 7129
OPPS NEG MHT 55,527-536
OPPS NEG 84-14405-407

Publication Note

Publication Note
The silhouettes are described in Ewers, J. C. (1966). "Chiefs from the Missouri and the Mississippi" and Peale's Silhouettes of 1860. Smithsonian Journal of History, 1, 1-26.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Silhouettes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Works of art Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chaticks Si Chaticks (Pawnee) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Osage Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Missouria (Missouri) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sac and Fox (Sauk & Fox) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sauk Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
North America Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

National Anthropological Archives
Museum Support Center
4210 Silver Hill Road
Suitland, Maryland 20746
Business Number: Phone: 301.238.1300
Fax Number: Fax: 301.238.2883
naa@si.edu