Hinmatóowyalahtq’it (Chief Joseph)

1879

Not on view

In 1879, while forcibly confined on a reservation in present-day Oklahoma, Hinmatóowyalahtq’it, or Chief Joseph, was permitted to travel to Washington, D.C., where he met with President Rutherford B. Hayes and presented his case for the return of the Nez Perce to the Pacific Northwest. As was common for Native delegates visiting the capital, he posed for a photographic portrait in Bell’s studio. Standing in an artificial landscape composed of a papier-mâché rock, faux moss, and a painted backdrop, Chief Joseph looks into the distance, allowing the viewer to study him without the threat of a returned gaze. This studio setting was used by Bell when photographing several Native American leaders, including Mahˇ píya Lúta, or Red Cloud.

Artwork Details

Title: Hinmatóowyalahtq’it (Chief Joseph)
Artist: Charles Milton Bell (American, 1848–1893)
Date: 1879
Medium: Albumen silver print from glass negative
Dimensions: Image: 43.5 × 33.7 cm (17 1/8 × 13 1/4 in.)
Mount: 50.6 × 40.6 cm (19 15/16 × 16 in.)
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: Gilman Collection, Museum Purchase, 2005
Object Number: 2005.100.656
Curatorial Department: Photographs

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Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud), Charles Milton Bell American, Albumen silver print from glass negative — Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud)
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