W.S. Prettyman

[Historian]

Taken from:
digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/P/PR010.html

PRETTYMAN, WILLIAM S. (1858-1932)

William S. Prettyman is one of Oklahoma's best-known frontier photographers. Born in Maryland on November 12, 1858, he moved to Emporia, Kansas, in 1879. After employment is various jobs, he became a photographer's apprentice in Arkansas City, Kansas. Following his apprenticeship, he opened his own photography gallery there.

After photographing a group of Osage Indians in his studio, he became interested in Indian Territory. Beginning with his first trip in 1883, he made at least one per year over the next decade to photograph the existing landscape and cultures. As a result of these numerous photographic expeditions, Prettyman produced many prints and glass plate negatives that have survived to the present.

He photographed a variety of people and events south of the Kansas state line in present Oklahoma. Some of his best work included the cowboys of the Cherokee Outlet, also known as the Cherokee Strip, and various American Indian groups living in Indian Territory. He was also present for the opening of the Outlet in September 1893. Oklahoma historian Muriel H. Wright noted that his work that day in capturing images of settlers participating in the Run of 1893 was especially valuable because it was a landmark in news photography,

In 1893 Prettyman opened a photography gallery in Blackwell, Oklahoma Territory. In 1905 he sold his business in there and completely abandoned his large collection of glass plate negatives and prints. He moved to California where he established a wholesale drug company. William S. Prettyman died in California in 1932.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Robert E. Cunningham, A Frontier Photographic Record by W. S. Prettyman (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1957). William S. Prettyman Collection, Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries, Norman, Oklahoma.

[pawneemuseum]

I am familiar with William S. Prettyman he often traveled to the Pawnee reservation to take photographs and also took Pawnee photographs in his studio

[Historian]

William S. Prettyman, Arkansas City, KS

One of the most important frontier photographers of the late-1800s was William S. Prettyman, who early in his career photographed numerous outlaws, cattlemen, and Civil War veterans. Shortly after opening a gallery north of Indian Territory in the town of Arkansas City, Kansas, Prettyman was approached by a group of Osage Indians to have their picture taken. This was the beginning of a new interest for Prettyman, who made several trips into Indian Territory and the Cherokee Outlet photographing many of the principal chiefs of the Osage, Comanche, Otoe, Sac and Fox and Pawnee. He was also witness to the early land openings in Oklahoma and photographed numerous scenes of boomer settlers and settlements.

Prettyman resented the acculturation he observed of the Native American peoples in Indian Territory and aimed to document their indigenous customs and rituals. According to Oklahoma author and historian Robert S. Cunningham, “Indians needed beads and blankets, tipis and savage dances, medicine men and the bloody trophies of war, if they were to be fit subjects for his [Prettyman] camera.”

In 1893, Prettyman settled in the newly formed town of Blackwell in Oklahoma Territory where he served for two terms as mayor. In 1905, he sold his photography studio in Blackwell and moved west to California. Prettyman’s former partner and protégé, George B. Cornish, is responsible for preserving many of his original plates and later published an album of Prettyman’s work titled Oklahoma Indian and Cowboy Views.

Taken from:
www.kclibrary.org/kchistory/photographing-native-americans-oklahoma-indian-territory

[dianec]

I was just about to start a thread about W.S. Prettyman but found this thread.
W.S. Prettyman was so interesting! He would leave his family for months and travel around Oklahoma and Arkansa by oxen, mule and wagon taking photos all over Oklahoma Territory and Arkansas in the late 1800's. And of course he used Glass Plates!
The sad part about Prettyman is that he never thought of writing down his experiences himself. The rich stories he could tell! (When Prettyman was old he lost his voice and couldn't speak)
The book INDIAN TERRITORY was written by Robert E. Cunningham the son or Grandson of W.S. Prettyman.


The book was written solely on the memories of Prettyman's travels and experiences others remembered of him having told of traveling through Oklahoma/Arkansas during the mid to late 1800's.
One photo that really intrigued me is the photo of older members of a tribe (can't recall which)
but the tribe is in a large circle and in the middle is a little elderly lady who was considered very special because of her age! The caption explains that the elderly lady was but a little girl when she remembered "Lewis and Clark" coming into their village! Makes my skin crawl.
Another story in the book was when Prettyman was with a tribe and was about to go home.
This time he had mules pulling his wagon. Anyway a storm was coming in and one elderly Tribesman begged him not to leave because he knew what was coming.
The old man even tried to unbridle his mules to stop him from traveling! But being stubborn
Prettyman rode away anyway.
He ended up in the most horrible storm he had ever been in! The mules had run off his wagon thrown apart and Prettyman was left on the ground grabbing hold of long grasses to stop from being swept away!
He moved along after the storm broke another way as he was too embarrassed to face
that Indian tribesman.
With one tribe he was invited to dinner and really scarfed up! He thought he was eating venison but later found the meat was dog.
He would not allow any type meat in his own house for about a year.
His story is really great!

[bwendo]

i found this website while spending my morning doing an internet search for things related to prettyman. i'm capturing some images and find other writings about him including the one referenced above. i hope to contribute some hear but don't promise anything since this kind of stuff is an avocation to my normal profession lawyering for indians and other people out of oklahoma city, oklahoma. i would be happy to share what i have found with anyone who has more time to devote to the effort. i would suggest you contact me on facebook or at my email address, [e-mail], in addition to here
i am attaching a picture of prettyman.
i wonder where his surname came from. it sounds almost like a play on an indian name.

Attachments:

[bwendo]

he was a pretty man wasn't he?

[bwendo]

by the way, i had the privilege to know abe conklin whose quote is included on this page. his wife victoria was also a friend. seeing a quote from him here made me instantly appreciative of the site

[jamesprettyman]

hello friends everywhere. I hope your day is going as well as mine, March in Phoenix could not better. Thought i would help out a few misconceptions about W.S. The gentleman Robert E. Cunningham was of no relation to the Prettyman family, but thanks to him there is a strong collection of my greatgrandfarthers works held for anyones admiration by the university of Oklahoma. As for the origin of our surname it is english, although if you were to be speeking with a Prettyman from england they probably would not agree. Thats all for now, and takegood care of your brothers.