Descriptive Catalogue of Photographs of North American Indians

Spanning twenty‑five years of field work, this catalogue brings together more than a thousand glass‑negative portraits of Native peoples from twenty‑five distinct tribes across the continent. Compiled by the United States Geological Survey’s own photographer, the collection includes front and profile views of chiefs, dignitaries who once visited Washington, and everyday members of remote villages. Each image is accompanied by concise notes on the individual’s name, tribal affiliation and the circumstances of the sit‑down, creating a systematic record that rivals any contemporary ethnographic archive.

The volume also reveals the practical and cultural hurdles that early photographers faced, from deep‑rooted superstitions about the camera to the difficulty of taking measurements without offending their subjects. By preserving clothing, ornaments, dwellings and facial features that have since disappeared, the work offers listeners a rare visual window into a world whose lived reality was being reshaped by forced relocation and reservation life. Its meticulous documentation makes the collection an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history, art and anthropology of North America’s Indigenous peoples.