National Anthropological Archives

Charles Milton Bell photographs of Native Americans, circa 1874-1890

Summary
Standing Bear in Partial Native Dress with Bear Claw Necklace and Headdress and Holding Tomahawk
Standing Bear in Partial Native Dress with Bear Claw Necklace and Headdress and Holding Tomahawk
Collection ID:
NAA.PhotoLot.80
Creators:
Bell, C. M. (Charles Milton), approximately 1849-1893
Dates:
circa 1874-1890
Languages:
Undetermined
.
Physical Description:
340 Copy prints
circa
3 Prints
albumen
333 Glass negatives
wet plate collodion and dry gelatin
69 Copy negatives
Repository:
Scope and Contents note
Scope and Contents note
Portraits of Native Americans made by Charles Milton Bell in his Washington, DC studio. Depicted individuals include Red Cloud, Oglala; Spotted Tail, Brule; Quanah Parker, Comanche; Nawat, Arapaho; Scabby Bull, Arapaho; Wolf Robe, Cheyenne; D. W. Bushyhead, Cherokee; John Jumper, Seminole; Plenty Coups, Crow; Rushing Bear, Arikara; Gall, Hunkpapa; John Grass, Sihasapa; Lean Wolf, Hidatsa; Chief Joseph, Nez Perce; and Lone Wolf, Kiowa; as well as people associated with Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. The collection also includes copies of some images by other photographers, including G. G. Rockwood and F. T. Cummins.
Biographical/Historical note
Biographical/Historical note
Charles Milton Bell (circa 1849-1893) was the youngest member of a family of photographers that operated a studio in Washington, DC, from around 1860-1874. Bell established his own studio on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1873 and it rapidly became one of the leading photography studios in the city. Bell developed the patronage of Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, who sent Native American visitors to the studio to have their portraits made. Bell also made photographs of Native Americans for the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of American Ethnology.
Administration
Author
Sarah Ganderup
Existence and Location of Copies note
Digital surrogates for many of the original negatives available online.
Custodial History note
When the C. M. Bell studio finally closed in 1909, its entire collection of negatives was acquired by another Washington photographer, Isaac M. Boyce. Boyce separated out the Native American negatives and attempted to sell them to the Bureau of American Ethnology. It was not until the 1950s, however, that the Bureau finally bought the negatives from Boyce's son, William.
Custodial History note
The set of prints that make up this collection was prepared as working material in the task of identifying the photographs of the Boyce collection. Prints were given arbitrary numbers when they were accessioned into the archives, with numbers 266-341 going to the oversize plates. All of the plates in the collection appear to have been copied in the 1950s shortly after their purchase; copies of the non-oversize plates were originally filed in MS 4661 and copies of the oversize plates were filed in Photo Lot 80. There was a project in 1998 to copy and conserve many of the oversize plates in a larger format and these copies were also added to Photo Lot 80.
Using the Collection
Conditions Governing Access note
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Conditions Governing Use note
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Preferred Citation note
Photo Lot 80, Charles Milton Bell photographs of Native Americans, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
Location of Other Archival Materials
Location of Other Archival Materials
Copy prints previously filed in MS 4661 have been relocated and merged with Photo Lot 80. These are also copy prints of Bell negatives that were acquired from Boyce and form part of this collection.
Location of Other Archival Materials
Additional C. M. Bell photographs held in National Anthropological Archives Photo Lot 4420, Photo Lot 24, Photo Lot 60, Photo Lot 81-44, Photo lot 87-2P, and Photo Lot 90-1.
More Information
Local Call Number(s)
Local Call Number(s)
NAA Photo Lot 80
,
NAA MS 4661
Addl. KW Subj
Addl. KW Subj
Sioux
Gros Ventre; Hidatsa
Plains Apache
Assiniboin; Assiniboine
Blackfoot
Otoe
Chippewa
Sauk & Fox
Meskwaki; Sauk & Fox
Kansa (Kaw)
Shoshone
Palouse
Yakima
Lenape
Keywords
Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Pikuni Blackfeet (Piegan) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Northwest Coast Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sauk Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Seminole Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of North America -- Southern States Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of North America -- Great Plains Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Shoshone Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sisitonwan Dakota (Sisseton Sioux) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Spokan Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wichita Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Yakama (Yakima) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Yanktonnai Nakota (Yankton Sioux) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of North America -- Northeast Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oto Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Osage Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kickapoo Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kaw (Kansa) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Kiowa Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Plains Apache (Kiowa Apache) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oglala Lakota (Oglala Sioux) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Niimíipuu (Nez Perce) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Omaha Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Anishinaabe (Chippewa/Ojibwa) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Cherokee Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Assiniboine (Stoney) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sahnish (Arikara) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Inunaina (Arapaho) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of North America -- Plateau Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hunkpapa Lakota (Hunkpapa Sioux) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Iowa Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Palouse Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Chaticks Si Chaticks (Pawnee) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Minitari (Hidatsa) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fox Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lenape (Delaware) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Apsáalooke (Crow/Absaroke) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Niuam (Comanche) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tsitsistas/Suhtai (Cheyenne) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Plenty Coups, 1848-1932 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Parker, Quanah, 1845?-1911 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lean Wolf. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Joseph (Nez Percé Chief), 1840-1904 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Red Cloud, 1822-1909 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Spotted Tail, 1823-1881 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Repository Contact
National Anthropological Archives
Museum Support Center
4210 Silver Hill Road
Suitland, Maryland 20746
naa@si.edu