National Museum of the American Indian

Matilda Sprinkel glass plate negatives of the Rosebud Reservation, 1904-1910

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAI.AC.083
Creators:
Sprinkel, Matilda Inez Murphy
Dates:
1904-1910
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
11 Glass plate negatives
4x5 in.
Repository:
Container:
1

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection contains 11 glass plate negatives photographed by Matilda Inez Murphy Sprinkel, circa 1904-1910. Sprinkel and her husband Frederick Kemper Sprinkel were trading post operators and possibly Indian Agents on the Rosebud Reservation when she shot these photographs. It is possible that some of the photographs may have been shot by Frederick as well.
The bulk of the photographs are portraits of individuals probably from the Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux) community and include 2 photos of Chief Red Fish; an outdoor photo of Charging Elk and Broken Legs, with one of them wearing an Indian police badge; a photo of Big Face holding a rifle; 2 photos of Chief Bear Heels; an outdoor portrait possibly of Bear Heels' wife; and 2 unidentified Lakota women. There are also 2 baby photos of the Sprinkels' first child Margaret Paulina Sprinkel (1908-2006).
The backgrounds on several of the glass plate negatives have been masked out with red paint either by Matilda Sprinkel, or perhaps by her daughter Margaret who worked as a photograph retoucher. Notes such as names and locations were also etched in the emulsion on several glass plates presumably by Matilda.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The materials in this collection are organized in 1 box.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Matilda Inez Murphy Sprinkel was born in Ligonier, PA in 1880. She married Frederick Kemper Sprinkel (1877-1936) on September 26, 1906. The couple operated a trading post on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota and were possibly Indian Agents as well. They had several children including Margaret Paulina Sprinkel (1908-2006), Frederick Kemper Sprinkel, Jr. (1910-1998), and Rose Hume Sprinkel Rosse (1914-1992). Matilda Inez died in Richmond, VA in 1966.

Administration

Author
Emily Moazami
Processing Information
Processed by Emily Moazami, Assistant Head Archivist in 2017.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Donated by Murphy Sprinkel and Mary Jane Stout, 2016.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish or broadcast materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiarchives@si.edu.
Conditions Governing Access
Access to NMAI Archive Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Matilda Sprinkel glass plate negatives of the Rosebud Reservation, Box and Folder Number; National Museum of the American Indian Archive Center, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Glass negatives Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Rosebud Indian Reservation (S.D.) Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Indians of North America -- South Dakota Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux) Cultural Context Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Sprinkel, Margaret Paulina Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Big Face Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Charging Elk Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Red Fish, Chief Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bear Heels, Chief Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

National Museum of the American Indian
4220 Silver Hill Rd
Suitland, Maryland 20746-2863
nmaiarchives@si.edu