David F. Barry at Fort Buford

[grahamew]

Barry took a number of photos of recently surrendered Lakota leaders in May 1881. They were, I believe, taken at his studio at Fort Buford, which he had until 1883 (?), when it blew down in a storm.


Crow King, allegedly wearing Major Botherton's coat, although he's modified it, if it is; Major Brotherton; Low Dog; George Fleary, the interpreter, standing at the rear.


Crow KIng (presumably taken at the same session as the above)


(ditto)


(ditto)


Low Dog (ditto)


A slight variant on the above


Rather more obvious variant


Crow (aka Good Voice Prairie Dog), one of Gall's headmen (?))


Gall


Gall sitting


Gall standing

I'm assuming that the following photos of Gall were taken around that time, although his dress and hair are different:





Are there any more variants on the above? Are there any more photos of recently surrendered Lakota taken by Barry at Buford in 1881?

[shan]

Hi grahamew

thanks for putting up those photos, and although I know them well it's nice to be reminded of them. Having said that I've never seen the one of Gall with what looks like a fur hat before, and talking of Gall, does anyone know if the paint marks on his upper shoulders and lower arms has any particular meaning? He certainly looks every inch the wild Indian in this group of photographs.

Grahamew, I asked you this a good while ago, but have you, { or anyone else for that matter,} ever come across a better image of the third photograph of the trio of photographs taken around the same time; the group photos with Low Dog, Gall, Running Antelope, Rain in the face and others, I'm talking about the one where the Sioux have been joined by a number of white officers and their wives plus, there is a small boy in a checked shirt lying in the foreground.

I've tried in vain over the year to put more pixels in order to try and get a clearer image but nothing works. I wonder who owns the image, is it a museum or is it in private hands?

Shan

[grahamew]

Incidentally, here's the flip side of one of those Barry photos of Low Dog, although you can see from the Superior, Wisconsin imprint that this came from a much later (he moved there in 1890, I believe) printing of the 1881 photograph:



I don't have my copy with me, but isn't the mail carrier incident mentioned in De Cost Smith's book?

[shan]

Yes, there is an account of the killing of the mail carrier in the De Cost Smith book, but not as I remember the part about him pegging the mail carrier down and burning him.

I think Barry may be mixing up two stories concerning Low Dog; the mail carrier killing, and an earlier event where it was said that Low Dog and others flushed out and killed a couple of loggers, and then burnt their bodies on a bonfire.

Shan

[Dietmar]

Isn´t this the same backdrop?:


Two Feathers by D.F. Barry

[grahamew]

Yes, you're right. Never noticed this before! Duh! There must be more...

Here's an exterior shot of the Fort Buford studio, taken between 1878 and 1883, when it blew down. That's Barry and Chief Shields (?):

[Dietmar]

Do we know more about Two Feathers (correct name?)? Until now I´ve thought he isn´t Lakota at all. Is he?... and if so, was he part of the group that surrendered with Gall, Crow King and Low Dog?

Barry used many different backdrops over the years. I can´t find more of this particular type in my collection, I´m afraid.

Shields, btw, is probably the man I have saved as Shield, Gros Ventre:


Shield (or Shields), Gros Ventre by D. F. Barry

[Dietmar]

From: “The Little Shadow Catcher” by Thomas M. Heski, Superior Publishing Company, Seattle 1978, page 44/45:

„When Barry heard that Gall had surrendered and was heading for Ft. Buford, he took his portable gallery and started upriver. He had long wanted Gall´s photograph. Barry said, “Upon my arrival I reported to Maj. Brotherton and made my business known to him. He gave me permission to take photographs of the Indians, and informed me that I was subject to his orders the same as anyone else at the post. He cautioned me against giving the Indians any information regarding the movements or plans of the troops or the movements of Indians that I might hear of from the officers and above all warned me to avoid having any trouble with any of the Indians. I had my portable gallery with me and proceeded to set up. I was more than anxious to photograph Chief Gall. I went to the hostile camp and through the interpreter “Fish” Allison made my arrangements to take photographs of the chiefs at $6.00 per sitting.”

The interpreter, failing to make money for himself, told the chiefs that Barry would get rich with their photographs, whereupon Gall raised his price to $21.00 with a little help. Barry reluctantly agreed to pay the sum.

Gall came to the Gallery as he was dressed at camp with no preparation of any kind. He was accompanied by Captain Clifford and scout Flurey. He refused to listen to suggestions as to how to pose. Barry took two photographs – one sitting and one standing. Gall stood before the camera as best suited him. He pulled his robe over his head with only his eyes showing. Realizing that such a photograph would be worthless, Barry gently pulled the robe down over his shoulders and rolled back his shirt, baring his magnificent chest. Gall with a haughty, scornful attitude eyed Barry with disdain and, at that moment, Barry snapped the shutter.

Later Gall returned to the gallery alone and asked to see the photograph. Barry only had the glass plate and didn´t make a print off it. Barry decided not to show him and Gall decided to find it himself, no doubt to destroy it because it was “bad medicine”.

Realizing that all his work and money was in peril, Barry pushed the chief away from the darkroom. Gall pulled his knife and was about to end Barry´s career when Barry picked up a revolver. Seeing the determination on the face of Barry, Gall left the gallery.

In less than an hour, Barry was summoned into the presence of the commanding officer where Gall had reported that Barry wanted to shoot him. Barry had been warned on his admittance to the fort to avoid any trouble with the Indians. It was only owing to his diplomacy in denying the incident that he was not deprived of his privilege of remaining at the fort.

Later Barry and Gall became good friends at Standing Rock Agency and Barry photographed him many times. However, neither ever referred to the Fort Buford affair.

[…]

Barry also took many photographs at Fort Buford during the time he was there. He took a photograph of Chief Crow King wearing Maj. Brotherton´s coat."

The second last sentence makes me hope that there are more undiscovered photographs taken by Barry at Fort Buford buried in some archive.

[grahamew]

I wonder if the photo of Gall with the robe pulled over him is actually the one with the fur cap.

The description of Barry pulling Gall's shirt and robe back reminds me of this photo, but this is surely a few years on from that, during Barry's stint at Bismarck, near Standing Rock, beginning in 1884.



The photo of Shield(s) has got me thinking. He seems to be holding a piece of cloth in his hand - the headband from the exterior photo? Makes me wonder if this photo shows a different studio after all and not the one at Buford.

Reading Heski's book, it's interesting to note that Barry visited other agencies and I wonder if he took a portable backdrop with him. He says that he visited Fort Custer in 1883, which is surely where he photographed Curley and other Crows, whose pictures share the same backdrop as the one of Shield(s), posted above.

For example:



There's also a photo of Young Man Afraid with this backdrop. I'm not aware of other Lakota photos with this backdrop. Maybe he was visiting the Crows...

[akhummingbird]

ooooo - this is such a great story. Thank you for sharing!
Happy New Year!
Barbara

[gregor]

Here is another Barry backdrop from 1885 (Bismarck?)



Dietmar, perhaps it would be a good idea to start a "backdrop catalog" in the photographer section.

CU

Gregor