peter
Junior Member
Posts: 98
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Post by peter on Dec 13, 2023 11:57:57 GMT -5
Thank you for sharing, Peter! Very interesting photo, indeed. However, I don´t think it shows Sam Little Bull. Personally I believe this is an early photo of David Bull Bear, who was with Buffalo Bill Cody on several tours. Hello Dietmar, Long time don't hear. Hope all is well. Is there any other photo of David Bull Bear that you are aware of? I would like to see one to compare it with the photo I posted. Our sources indicate that this rare portrait of young Sam Little Bull was originally published in an article by Charles Hanson junior who was the director of the Museum Of The fur Trade in Chadron, precisely on Oglala hair-pipe breastplates. Thank you
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Post by Dietmar on Dec 13, 2023 15:50:54 GMT -5
Here´s a comparison with portraits of David Bull Bear, Oglala Lakota. There are many more of him around, but I choose those where he looks rather young:
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peter
Junior Member
Posts: 98
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Post by peter on Dec 14, 2023 10:31:18 GMT -5
Dietmar, thank you for sharing the composite photos of David Bull Bear. I take notice that the first photo on the left, which I identified as Sam Little Bull, Jr., is quite remarkably identical to the fourth photo you correctly identify as David Bull Bear of the Buffalo Bill's Wild West. The logical conclusion seems to be that my identification is wrong. Please note that the name of Sam Little Bull associated with the photo on the left, originally appeared in the article on Oglala breastplates published in the mid-1970s by Charles Hanson, Jr., of the Museum of the Fur Trade. Years later I personally visited the MFT in Chadron, Nebraska, and asked to see the original image published by Hanson. I was told that the original image had been "lost" , possibly even stolen. While I do not doubt your identification, for the sake of historical accuracy, I will write to James Hanson, current MFT historian for clarification. As you well know, misidentification of subjects in American Indian photographs abound both in print and on the web. The more we can do to rectify the problem, the better for future generations of historians and specifically for anyone interested in the American Indians. Thanks again.
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Post by Dietmar on Dec 18, 2023 12:11:55 GMT -5
I´ve gone through all my stuff over the last days and came to believe that Sam Little Bull also went under the name Sam or Samuel Bird. This is only based on photographic evidence, and I know this probably has to be checked by additional sources (if possible). However, if you look at the portraits in my comparison, I hope you agree that there is a compelling resemblance. - far left, photo 1: Samuel Bird in 1894 as a soldier at Fort Omaha - photos 2 and 3: on tour with 'Omaha Charlie' Bristol (identification by myself) - photo 4: Sam Bird on tour with a Wild West show - photos 5, 6 and 7: Sam Little Bull on tour in Europe (1920s)
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Post by nukemm33 on Dec 18, 2023 14:43:23 GMT -5
Dietmar I can't thank you enough! I have to agree with you on the resemblance. The funny thing is, when I first shared the older pictures of Sam Little Bull everyone told me how much he looked like me and now seeing the younger photos I'd have to say I see it now.
It's interesting that all the census records I've seen only show him as either Sam Little Bull or Little Bull. I've never seen the Bird name associated with him until now. But i completely agree on the photographic evidence.
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Post by nukemm33 on Dec 21, 2023 10:49:31 GMT -5
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Post by nukemm33 on Jan 3, 2024 12:04:49 GMT -5
I wanted to follow this up after doing some research. I did find a Samuel Lawrence Little Bird who was also called Lawrence Black Wolf. I think his mother was Bessie Little Bird and his father's name was Black Wolf. This Sam was born about 10 years later than Samuel Little Bull, but I did find his army enlistment record and he was married to a woman named Alice Eunice Knife. They seem to come from Rosebud, where Samuel Little Bull came from Pine Ridge.
I don't know if this is the "Sam Bird" you mention, but this is the best guess I had based on the information. But these pictures all appear to be of the same person so I'm not really sure if Samuel Lawrence Little Bird is actually Sam Bird or not. I'm just following the information trail and trying to make sense of it.
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