Portraits of Native American chiefs. “The aboriginal portfolio : a collection of portraits of the most celebrated chiefs of the North American Indians.” Published in Philadelphia in 1835, it is the work of James Otto Lewis (1799-1858).

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“Kee-O-Kuck or the Watching Fox: The present chief of the Sauk tribe and Successor to Black Hawk.” Page 1. Painted by J. O. Lewis at the great treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825. Lehman and Duval, Philadelphia, engravers. Gregory Javitch Native Peoples of the New World Collection, University of Alberta Libraries. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bp_1389667/mode/1up
“Nabu-Naa-Kee-Schick or The One Side of the Sky. A Chippewa chief.” Page 2. Painted at the Treaty of Fond du Lac (on Lake Superior) by J. O. Lewis in 1826. Lehman and Duval, Philadelphia, engravers. Gregory Javitch Native Peoples of the New World Collection, University of Alberta Libraries. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bp_1389667/page/n1/mode/1up
“Waa-Na-Taa or the Foremost in Battle: Chief of the Sioux Tribe.” Page 3. Painted by J. O. Lewis at the Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825. Lehman and Duval, Philadelphia, engravers. Gregory Javitch Native Peoples of the New World Collection, University of Alberta Libraries. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bp_1389667/page/n2/mode/1up
“The Little Crow: A celebrated Sioux Chief.” Page 12. Page 3. Painted by J. O. Lewis at the Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825. Lehman and Duval, Philadelphia, engravers. Gregory Javitch Native Peoples of the New World Collection, University of Alberta Libraries. In the public domain due to age. via https://archive.org/details/bp_1389667/page/n12/mode/1up

James Otto Lewis started out as an engraver in Philadelphia around 1815. Fascinated by what he learned of the western territories, as a young man he went west in 1819. Traveling with the governor of the Michigan Territory Lewis worked for the United States government painting official portraits of Native Americans in the course of his employment which included attending numerous treaties and ceremonies so these are painted from life. Learn more about him here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Otto_Lewis. Quite a few so more for later posts, too.

Published by sarahbguestperry

On a voyage to see how much mileage I can get from the creative ability and eye for images that my family thought was useless. On line art curator, fiction writer and now blogger. Historian's daughter. Follow me . . .even I have no idea where I'm going next.

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