Montana Historical Society Research
Center
Photograph Archives
225 N. Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT 59620-1201
(406) 444-4739
photoarchives@mt.gov
ST 004
Rinehart, Frank Albert
Frank A. Rinehart stereographs
1899-1900
71 stereographs (includes 4
duplicates)
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.
No textual or other language
materials are included in the collection.
Biographical Note
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.
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.
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.
Collection is open for research.
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.
F.A. Rinehart stereographs, ST 004. [Item number], Montana Historical Society
Photograph Archives, Helena, Montana.
Acquisition information available upon request.
The bulk of this collection (65 stereographs) was collected by Bud Lake and Randy
Brewer and transferred from PAc 2015-3. Six additional Rinehart stereographs are
from PAc 95-41.
Rinehart, F. A. (Frank
A.)
Muhr, Adolph F.,
-1913)
Arapaho Indians
Cree Indians
Crow Indians –
Montana
Dakota Indians
Omaha Indians
Pawnee Indians
Salish Indians
Siksika Indians
Indian children
Indian dance
Indians – Rites and
ceremonies
Indians – Social life and
customs
Tipis
Crow Indian Reservation
(Mont.)
Photographs
Native
Americans
Montana
Photographs
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series I
Indian Tribes
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.
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 Unknown
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.
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