Speck-Choate Photograph Collection
Culture:
Zuni includes: A:shiwi
San Felipe includes: Katishtya, Keres
Laguna includes: Kʾáwáigamʾé, Keres, Kawaika
Language: English
Date: 1879-1881
Subject: United States Indian School (Carlisle, Pa.) | Pennsylvania--History | Education | Boarding schools | Clothing and dress | Society of Friends
Type: Still Image | Text
Genre: Photographs
Extent: 0.25 linear feet, 27 photographs
Description: J. N. Choate was a local commercial photographer in Carlisle, Pennsylvania who advertised "Photographs of all the Indian Chiefs that have visited the Indian Training School at Carlisle Barracks, also of children in native and school costumes." Choate intended his images to document the benefits of civilization wrought by the Carlisle Indian School (founded 1879, closed 1918) on Native American students. His images include "before and after" shots of students in native dress (before) and school uniforms (after), the school band, students at work in the saddle shop and making shoes, etc. Choate also took a number of photographs of visiting Native leaders in traditional dress, including the Lakota chief Spotted Tail, and the Cheyennes Man on Cloud and Mad Wolf. One photograph depicts Carlisle School founder Richard Henry Pratt seated with Quaker supporters. Among the peoples represented are the Lakota, Laguna, Cheyenne, Creek, Lipan Apache, San Felipe Pueblo, Ute, and Zuni. The photographs in this collection are mounted on standard stock, and include 19 cabinet cards and 8 boudoir cards. Although some of the photographs are titled by hand and signed by Choate, most have printed backmarks with a few including lists of other available images and advertising pitches. These particular specimens were collected by anthropologist Frank Speck. See the finding aid for an itemized list. These images have also been digitized and are available online through the APS Digital Library.
Collection: Speck-Choate Photograph Collection Mss.B.Sp3c