National Anthropological Archives

William R. Pywell photographs from the Yellowstone Expedition, 1873

Summary

Collection ID:
NAA.PhotoLot.166
Creators:
Pywell, Wm. R. (William Redish), 1843-1886
Dates:
1873
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
13 Photographic prints
silver gelatin contact prints
10 Glass negatives
collodion stereo negatives
Repository:
Photographs made by William R. Pywell documenting the Yellowstone Expedition of 1873. They comprise images of the expedition's camps, transportation, and members including George Armstrong Custer and Bloody Knife. The collection contains images of human remains.

Scope and Contents note

Scope and Contents note
Stereoscopic photographs made by William R. Pywell documenting the Yellowstone Expedition of 1873. They comprise images of the expedition's camps, transportation, and members including George Armstrong Custer and Bloody Knife.

Biographical/Historical note

Biographical/Historical note
William Redish Pywell (1843-1886) received photographic training from Alexander Gardner and worked as a photographer in a Washington, D.C., studio owned by Matthew Brady during and after the Civil War. After opening his own studio in Washington, Pywell became official photographer for the Yellowstone Expedition in 1873.

Historical Note

Historical Note
Comprised primarily of US Army cavalry and infantry, the Yellowstone Expedition of 1873 was organized to escort and protect the Northern Pacific Railroad Survey. Colonel David S. Stanley led the expedition, with Lieutenant Commander George Armstrong Custer second in command. The War Department also charged Stanley with exploring the region and reporting back on the natural features and resources. As such, a small scientific corps consisting of a paleontologist, geologist, mineralogist, zoologist, botanist, photographer (Pywell), and artist accompanied the expedition. The party set out to Yellowstone from Fort Rice in Dakota Territory in June of 1873, returning in September.

Administration

Author
Sarah Ganderup, Gina Rappaport
Custodial History note
The Smithsonian Institution organized the expedition's scientific corps, however, the Army Corps of Engineers funded the scientists, who were equipped by the Quartermaster Corps. This led to confusion over the ownership of Pywell's negatives. From 1873 to 1877 they were passed around, with Pywell borrowing them to print from. Eventually the negatives returned to the War Department, who then gave them to the Smithsonian; they became part of the collections of the Bureau of American Ethnology. Around 1948, some of the negatives went to the National Archives. It is not clear why this occurred or if the division of the negatives between the two repositories was intentional.
Processing Information
This collection has been relocated from Photo Lot 78 and MS 4498. Contact prints of these and some additional Pywell negatives, previously filed in MS 4498, have been relocated and merged with Photo Lot 166.
The negatives and prints had been renumbered several times; for more consistent control new numbers were assigned with the format: collection number.item number (i.e. 166.2).

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access note
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
The collection contains images of human remains.
Conditions Governing Use note
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Preferred Citation note
Photo Lot 166, William R. Pywell photographs from the Yellowstone Expedition, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution.

Location of Other Archival Materials

Location of Other Archival Materials
The National Archives holds Pywell negatives transferred by the BAE circa 1948 (Record Group 106) and the E. Marshall Pywell Photographic Collection, circa 1874 - circa 1975. Additional records of the Yellowstone Expedition can be found in Record Group 391 and 393.

More Information

Addl. KW Subj

Addl. KW Subj
Sioux


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Hunkpapa Lakota (Hunkpapa Sioux) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Arikara Indians Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Covered wagons Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bloody Knife, approximately 1840-1876 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Custer, George Armstrong, 1839-1876 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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