Archives West Finding Aid
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Frank A. Rinehart stereographs, 1899-1900
Overview of the Collection
- Collector
- Rinehart, Frank Albert
- Title
- Frank A. Rinehart stereographs
- Dates
- 1899-1900 (inclusive)18991900
- Quantity
- 71 stereographs (includes 4 duplicates)
- Collection Number
- ST 004
- Summary
- F. A. Rinehart (1861-1928) was a professional photographer in Omaha, Nebraska. This collection of seventy-one stereographs contains scenes photographed by Rinehart and his partner, Adolph Muhr, when they visited Indian reservations in the Dakotas, Montana, and Wyoming in 1899 and 1900. There are views of eight different Indian tribes including Arapaho, Blackfeet (Siksika), Cree, Crow, Flathead (Salish), Omaha, Pawnee, and Sioux (Dakota). The images document individual men and women, tipi camps, domestic activities, and cultural and ceremonial events. The tribe best represented in this collection is the Crow Indians.
- Repository
-
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- No textual or other language materials are included in the collection.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
F.A. Rinehart was born in Lodi (now Maple Park), Illinois, on February 12, 1861. He and his brother, Alfred, traveled west to Denver in 1878 and found employment at the Charles Bohm photographic studio. In 1881, the Rinehart brothers formed a partnership with William Henry Jackson, and under his tutelage developed professional skills and became interested in Native American culture. Frank married Anna Ransom Johnson (Jackson’s receptionist) in 1885 and moved to Nebraska, opening a portrait studio in the Brandeis Building in downtown Omaha. The couple had two daughters, Ruth and Helen, both born in Nebraska. Rinehart continued working at his Omaha studio until his death on December 17, 1928.
For the 1898 Indian Congress, held in Omaha in conjunction with the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, Rinehart was commissioned to photograph events and the Native Americans who attended. He and his assistant, Adolph F. Muhr, photographed the Indians at the Indian Congress in a studio on the Exposition grounds using an 8- x 10-inch glass-negative camera with a German lens. Platinum prints were produced. The formal portraits created during the Congress were widely seen and distributed, even being sold in special leather-bound albums.
As part of their Exposition commission, Rinehart and Muhr traveled to Indian reservations during 1899 and 1900 to photograph individuals who were unable to attend the Congress and to depict their everyday life and culture. The stereographs in this collection were made during these visits, including time spent at the Crow Indian reservation in southeastern Montana in 1900.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection of seventy-one stereographs contains scenes of Indian people and their way of life at the end of the nineteenth century when Rinehart and Muhr visited reservations in Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming, and the Dakotas. There are informal portraits of individuals such as Bull Goes Hunting, Curly, Ring on the Forehead, Sits Among the Seven Stars, Sharp River, and Takes the Gun; scenes of their domestic life dwelling in tipi camps, butchering meat, and cooking dinner; scenes of their social life at gatherings like an adoption dance or presentation ceremony; scenes of their culture including dress and decoration and the prominence of the horse; and documentation of their spiritual life with images of tobacco pipes, coup sticks, and shields.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Photograph Archives collections and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Photograph Archives before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in its collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
F.A. Rinehart stereographs, ST 004. [Item number], Montana Historical Society Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The stereographs are arranged in two series: Series I. Indian Tribes, and Series II. Indians, Tribe Unknown. Series I has eight subseries, one for each identified tribe. Series II has three subseries with stereographs of individuals, of tipi camps, and of dance events. The stereos in this collection have titles presumably given by the photographer that are printed on the image. This information can include name of the tribe, name of an individual, the event, and the location being photographed. Rinehart did not organize the stereographs or assign any kind of series designation, nor did he provide any type of numbering system. The series arrangement described below and the numbering of the collection were done by MHS.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series I: Indian TribesReturn to Top
For some stereographs, the name of the Indian tribe in the photograph is part of the title printed on the card (i.e. “Crow Children”). For other images, the title does not indicate which tribe is seen in the photograph (i.e. “Adoption Dance”). In some cases, an unidentified source has written (in ink) a tribal name on the bottom of certain stereographs (i.e. “Pawne”). For the Indian Tribes series, the tribal name printed on the image or written on the stereograph has been used. Eight tribes are identified and each is a subseries. The largest subseries is for the Crow Indian Tribe and includes individuals, groups, and camps.
| Description | Dates |
|---|---|
Subseries 1: Arapaho |
|
01: Holds Back. [Man standing outdoors
wearing a long feather headdress and holding a coiled rope. A man on
horseback and a tipi camp are behind him.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha,
Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
Subseries 2: Blackfeet |
|
02: A quiet chat. [Two young men, one
standing and one reclined on a rock, wearing leggings, blankets
around their waists, and necklaces. A rock formation is behind
them.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
03: Shoty. [Man wearing leggings, vest,
apron, necklaces, and a feather headdress stands outdoors with one
arm akimbo. A white horse is behind him.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha,
Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
Subseries 3: Cree |
|
04: Looking Forward. [Young boy wearing a
beaded shirt, apron, and bandolier, and a fur belt, stands outdoors.
He is holding a tobacco pipe. A tipi camp is in the distance.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
Subseries 4: Crow |
|
05: Medicine Chief, Bull Goes Hunting.
[Elderly man seated outdoors wearing a choker necklace and a blanket
around his waist. He holds a large bird wing.] (F.A. Rinehart,
Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
06: Curley fixing up. [Man is seated on
the ground near a tipi frame and a tarp. On the ground by him are a
beaded bag, bucket, wooden box, and other items.] (F.A. Rinehart,
Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
07: Grey Bull. [Young man sits on
horseback near other horses and men. Tipis, wagons, and a hillside
are behind him.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
08: Arthur Mitchell. [Man wearing a shirt,
apron, and bells on his legs stands near a saddled horse. The man
holds a small item in his hand, possibly a whistle with feathers.]
(F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
09: Plenty Coos. [Man wearing a fabric
shirt sits near other men under a shade arbor. A piece of fur or
hair is attached to a string across his chest. He is holding a
rifle.] |
circa 1900 |
10: Ring on the Forehead. [Man wearing a
fringed shirt and an animal hide across his back stands in front of
a shade arbor. Other men are seated under the arbor.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
11: Chief Spotted Horse. [Man wearing a
shirt with ermine pelts and a brimmed head decorated with a bird
skin sits on horseback. He holds a decorated stick in his hand.]
(F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
12: Stands in Door (scout). [Man wearing a
feather headdress and beaded vest stands on a hill. He holds the
reins for a saddled horse standing behind him. (F.A. Rinehart,
Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
13: An old village crier. [Elderly man
wearing a shirt with ermine pelts and holding a large feather sits
on horseback. Behind him are tipi frame and a tipi camp.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
14: Crow [?]. [Two young men stand
together near a rock formation. They wear leggings, blankets around
their waists, armbands, and necklaces.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
15: Crow Govt-. [Elderly man wearing a
shirt with ermine pelts sits on horseback. Behind him is a tipi camp
(one b&w, one tinted).] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
16: Crows on horseback. [Six men (five
with brimmed hats and one with a long scarf) sit on horseback. One
horse has a flower and bird design on its flank. A tipi camp is
behind the men.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
17: Crow Indians on horse back. [Five men
wearing feather headdresses, vests, and blankets, sit on horseback.
One man holds a rifle.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
18: On dress parade. [Five men wearing
feather headdresses, vests, and blankets, sit on horseback. One man
holds a rifle (tinted).] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
19: Half-civilized Crows. [Five men, one
wearing a brimmed hat, sit on horseback. Wagons, tipis, and a hill
are behind the group.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
20: Squaw Hoppers. [Two women wrapped in
blankets (with only eyes and nose exposed) stand outdoors near a
covered wagon and tents.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
21: Wife of a noted Crow. [Woman and young
girl (wearing elk-tooth dresses) stand together outdoors. Another
woman and a tipi camp are behind them.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
22: Crow children. [Two young girls sit on
a horse with beaded tack. Two other girls stand near the horse, one
holding the reins. Tipis, tents, and wagons are behind the
children.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
23: Little Crows. [Two young girls wearing
dresses and blankets sit on horseback. One horse has beaded tack,
including a large round forelock decoration.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha,
Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
24: Pryor Agency. [Horse-drawn wagons are
in front of three small wooden buildings, a corral, and a tent.
Hills are in the distance.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
25: Pryor Camp N.E. [Woman, children, and
a dog walk across an open area near a tipi and tent camp. Men and a
young boy are on horseback nearby.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
26: Camp, mouth of Pryor Canon. [Tipis and
tents are set up near a rock formation and large hill.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
Subseries 5: Flathead |
|
27: On parade. [Five men wearing feather
headdresses, vests, and blanket sit on horseback near a hill. One
man holds a rifle.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
Subseries 6: Omaha |
|
28: Omaha squaw preparing dinner. [Woman
kneeling by a cook fire stirs the contents of a large pot. A young
girl, tent, and tipi are behind the woman. Many items are on the
ground near the tent.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
29: Omaha Indians parading. [Five men (one
carrying a U.S. flag) and a woman walk in a line near a tipi.
Another man on horseback follows them.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
30: Sits Down Spotted. [Man wearing
leggings and a blanket sits on horseback near a tipi frame and tipi
camp.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
31: Sits Down Spotted. [Man wearing a
shirt with ermine pelts and a long feather headdress stands outdoors
near a tree. He is holding a rifle.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
32: Mrs. Sits Down Spotted and child.
[Young woman standing outdoors. A child is attached to her back with
a fringed blanket wrapped around her shoulders.] (F.A. Rinehart,
Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
Subseries 7: Pawnee |
|
33: Yellow Fox. [Man wearing a brimmed hat
and blanket stands in front of a tent. He is holding a beaded bag
and tobacco pipe.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
34: Honoring the sun. [Young man with
short hair wearing a beaded belt, sash, and feather roach, sits on
horseback. He has an arm raised, pointing a stick toward the sky.]
(F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
Subseries 8: Sioux |
|
35: Squaw braiding her hair. [Woman
wearing an elk-tooth dress and blanket stands outdoors braiding her
hair. Horses, riders, and tipis are behind her.] (F.A. Rinehart,
Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
36: Sits Among the Seven Stars. [Woman
kneels near a cook fire with tripod and pots. She holds a flatbread
in her hands. A man on horseback and a tent are behind her.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
37: Sits Among the Seven Stars. [Woman
wearing a dress and blanket sits on horseback. The horse has beaded
tack and a saddle with high horn and cantle.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha,
Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
38: Coup dance. [Large group of people are
gathered under and near a shade arbor (tinted).] (F.A. Rinehart,
Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
39: Dog feast runners. [Two men wearing
feather roaches and bustles walk toward spectators who are seated,
standing, and on horseback. One runner drags a stick behind him.]
(F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
40: Parading. [Group of men (some wearing
brimmed hats, some with feather roaches) ride on horseback in a
line. One man carries a U.S. flag.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
Series II: Indians, Tribe UnknownReturn to Top
Stereographs with no tribal identification are in this series. Because Bud Lake specialized in collecting photographs of the Crow Indians, many of these unidentified images are probably from Rinehart’s trip to the Crow Reservation in southeastern Montana in 1900. Subseries include Indians (some identified and some not), Indian camps, and Indian dancing.
| Description | Dates |
|---|---|
Subseries 1: Indians |
|
41: Carry His Babe in the Mouth. [Man
wearing a striped shirt stands in front of a shade arbor. His face
is painted and he holds a decorated stick. Other men sit under the
arbor behind him.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
42: Saun-So-Cl. [Man wearing a feather
headdress, bandolier, apron, arm bands, fringed belt, and necklaces
stands outdoors. Behind him are people, horses, and a carriage.]
(F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
43: Sharp River (Sharp Horn). [Man
standing near a rock formation. He wears a feather headdress and
beaded leggings, and holds a rifle and decorated shield.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
44: Sharp River (Sharp Horn). [Man wearing
a feather headdress and beaded leggings sits on a rock. He is
holding a rifle and decorated shield.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
45: Shoots the Lodge. [Man sitting on
horseback near a tipi camp. He wears a shirt and vest.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
46: Smokey. [Man wearing a shirt, vest,
neckerchief, brimmed hat, and shaggy chaps sits on horseback. Behind
him are horses, wagons, and tipis.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
47: Spotted Jack Rabbit. [Man wearing a
shirt with ermine pelts and holding a stick sits on horseback. The
horse has handprints painted on its shoulder and flank.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
48: Takes the Gun. [Man wearing a long
shirt and vest and holding a striped blanket over his arm stands
outdoors. A saddled horse is behind him.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha,
Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
49: Chief Wrinkled Face. [Man wearing a
fur-trimmed shirt and long belt stands in front of a shade arbor. He
holds a lance decorated with feathers. Other men are seated under
the arbor.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
50: Squaw drill. [Seven women walk in a
line near a tipi. One wears an elk-tooth dress and others wear or
carry blankets. One woman holds a large bird wing.] (F.A. Rinehart,
Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
51: Noted warriors. [Two men wearing
feather headdresses stand outdoors. One has a blanket over his arm
and the other holds a crooked staff and shield with feathers.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
52: In the tepee. [Two men and a young
girl sit on blankets on the floor of a tipi. A feather headdress,
brimmed hat, mirror, and other items are in the tipi.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
53: Butchering. [Men and women work
preparing meat at a camp. Other men on horseback watch. Tipis,
tents, a wagon, and dogs are also in the camp.] (F.A. Rinehart,
Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
54: : Indian ponies. [Man wearing a
large-brimmed hat and holding a quirt sits on horseback. Near him
are other men, horses, and a shade arbor.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha,
Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
Subseries 2: Camps |
|
55: Moch-Poh rock and camp. [Large camp
with tipis arranged in a circle near trees and a hill.] (F.A.
Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
56: Main camp. [Man sits in a horse-drawn
wagon near a tent and other wagons. A large tipi camp is in the
distance.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
57: Camp. [A horse grazes near wagons,
tents, and tipis. A hill is behind the camp.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha,
Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
Subseries 3: Dancing |
|
58: Adoption dance. [Women and children
stand near a pile of blankets and several horses. Men on horseback
and a shade arbor are behind them.] |
circa 1900 |
59: Gift dance for visitors. [Spectators
seated on blankets watch a group of Indian men who are moving
together across an open area.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
60: A glimpse outside the dance circle.
[Men and women are seated on the ground near a shade arbor with
their backs to the camera. A young girl and a dog walk near the
arbor.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
61: Presentation dance. [Three men with
their backs to the camera dance toward spectators seated under a
shade arbor.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
62: Presentation dance. [Group of men in
traditional dance regalia are in front of spectators seated under a
shade arbor.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
63: Dancers resting. [Men and a young boy
wearing dance regalia sit under a shade arbor. Women and horses
stand behind the arbor.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb.,
1900) |
circa 1900 |
64: Resting after dance. [Men wearing
dance regalia sit under a shade arbor. Women and horses are behind
the dancers.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
65: Squaw dance. [Group of women standing
in a line. Behind them are men on horseback, a large tipi, wagons,
tents, and a hill.] (F.A. Rinehart, Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
66: Squaw dance ceremonies. [People in
wagons and on horseback are gathered near two tipis. Other horses,
riders, tents, and a hill are in the distance.] (F.A. Rinehart,
Omaha, Neb., 1900) |
circa 1900 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Arapaho Indians
- Cree Indians
- Crow Indians – Montana
- Dakota Indians
- Indian children
- Indian dance
- Indians – Rites and ceremonies
- Indians – Social life and customs
- Omaha Indians
- Pawnee Indians
- Salish Indians
- Siksika Indians
- Tipis
Personal Names
- Muhr, Adolph F., -1913)
- Rinehart, F. A. (Frank A.)
Geographical Names
- Crow Indian Reservation (Mont.)
Form or Genre Terms
- Photographs
Finding aid prepared by Heather Hultman
2023
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
