William R. Godkin

[grahamew]

Found here - pastperfect.nebraskahistory.org/unicgi/mwebuni.exe?request=keyword;keyword=godkin;dtype=d

Godkin photo of Lakota council at Pine Ridge, 1880:



Was Godkin around as late as 1880? The other photos that Ephriam drew our attention to are surely from the mid-70s.

Would the Indians be dressed this way in 1880?

Just wondering.

[Dietmar]

Grahame,

I´m not sure, but I would guess like you that the photo was taken a bit later.

Btw, thanks for pointing at the Nebraska Archive, there are lots of interesting new photos there.


Dietmar

[grahamew]

I've tried to darken this a little on photoshop, but it's still difficult to make much out

[grahamew]

Here it is; I've blown it up a little too:

[grahamew]

Another Godkin. This time it definitely is one. It's from the Heritage Auction site and on the back are the words, "The Little Corporal," but the identification of this photo on the SIRIS site says it is "Wee-e-tah-tokah."

[Dietmar]

I moved the thread from the "identification" section because we haven´t had an own Godkin photographer thread, although we have posted many pictures by him over the last years.


Just from Ebay:

This is a photo by William R. Godkin from Pine Ridge Agency. It´s been taken in November 1879 and the seller says it possibly shows Blue Whirlwind, a survivor of Wounded Knee:





Do we know something about these people?
No. 4 (No Relations?) looks familiar.

[grahamew]

There are several people called No Relations on the Mike Stevens site, although all but one are said to be female. I think I've seen his image before too!

Maybe I was wrong about the date of the alleged Godkin photo in my first post. Maybe hats and coats were more prevalent than I thought in 1880, but I associated that wholesale adoption of that kind of dress with the mid 80s.

Maybe I'm just being a hopeless romantic!

[kakarns]

Dietmar,

Re: William R. Godkin
« Reply #5 on Apr 21, 2013, 5:08am

Your recent post (photo), has caught my attention !
One of my relatives did some good research a few years ago on Charging Eagle. The woman in the photo may very possibly be one of Charging Eagle's daughter's. ?

Julia Good Voice Bear (aka), Blue Whirlwind (aka), Blue Water (aka), Lily Fireheart (aka), Lily Fireheart Bear b. 1861-63 d. 5-26-1939.
Julia Good Voice Bear married twice.

A good clue is;
In your posted photo, it list's her husband as Terry. IF, this is Samuel Terry b. 1834 d. 1924, there is a good possibility that this is Julia Good Voice Bear/Blue Whirlwind. They married at the Spotted Tail Agency on 6-24-1878.

I will also add that, Blue Whirlwind's facial features resemble the photos of my G. G. Grandmother, who would be her sister.

Please respond.
Thank you,
kakarns

[Dietmar]

Hi Kim,

I can´t say if she is your relative, but I doubt she is Blue Whirlwind, who survived Wounded Knee. I think to remember the latter was married to a Lakota.

[grahamew]

Interestingly, there's a Lays on his Belly family listed at the Upper Cut Meat Community at Rosebud in 1885, though there appears to be another living at the Black Pipe Community - unless the famil moved. I can't find a male old enough to be the man in the photo in the 1900 census

[kakarns]

Dietmar,
In prior research of the name Blue Whirlwind, it seems that the one that survived Wounded Knee Massacre, had some male children.
To the best of my knowledge, Julia Good Voice Bear/Blue Whirlwind had 3 daughters.
Two daughters with Samuel Terry and one with Julian Fireheart.

Thank you,
kakarns

[clarence]

Hi everybody,
maybe it's just an impression, but the man seated at left with hat and labelled as 'No Relations', to me looks a little bit like Rocky Bear. I admit I don't know if he was in Pine Ridge Agency at the time Godkin took the photo. The inscription could indicate that he doesn't have any known relation with the others in the picture.
Best regards from Italy

[grahamew]

I always thought we had a thread full of Godkin photos. Never mind. Here are all those that I have:


Red Dog


Red Shirt


Black Bear


Slow Bull


American Horse's Daughter


Little Big Man's wife


Fighting Cloud Shield


Sword


American Horse


Three Bears


Jack Red Cloud


Pine Leaf


Red Cloud


Red Dog


Yankton Charlie/Plenty Wolves and wife


Young Man Afraid of his Horses (not White Bird)


White Bird?


Red Eagle


"Susie"


Red Shirt


Sword and his daughters (wives?)


Wee-e-tah-tokah

[grahamew]

I'm guessing the above photos are dated about 1877-79; I'm not sure the council photo at the top of the page is Godkin's.

[jag]

Grahame, Thanks for the pictures you put up. I am trying to find all of them that I can. Just want a record for my Son. I don't know a lot about William Richard's photography but have found out a bit about him. He was born in Canada, Leeds, Ont. in 1834, first of 12 children, to John A. Godkin from Wexford, Ireland. Moved to New York area in 1858, where he began his photography career. My grandfather, Samuel Godkin was born there in 1864. William took pictures during the civil war and one I have seen is of a young man at Ft. Baker. William has his stamp on the back as a "Traveling Photographer" Must have learned how to take and develope his photos at this time. In 1875 he traveled with his family to homestead in the Platte Center area, Burrows Co. Nebr. He and Samuel are listed in the 1880 census at Ft. Robinson.

Ephriam sent me a godkin photo taken at William Cody's show in Omaha, Nebr. I think it must have been about 1876, just after Godkin moved to Nebr. My Great Uncle George Was born there about 1875.
I am pretty sure William was not concerned with recording history as such, more likely with making pictures to sell. Either to the sitter, or on the market back east. That was his life as a traveling photographer, he used other photographers studios when he could and developed on the run the rest of the time. Therefore I think that is why he mislabled some of the photos. He most likely thought no one seeing the pictures back east would be concerned with his accuracy. Hard to keep good records in your horse and wagon. I don't know his motives but he did have a studio in Platte Center, Ne. when he died in 1901. He is buried near there. John Godkin