W. R. Cross photographs

[Dietmar]

I love the photographs of William R. Cross. They show many of the leading Sioux and Cheyenne chiefs and warriors of the 19. century. His photos are also very rare, not often published in history books.
Maybe we can present some of them in this thread?

I start with a photo montage of several Cross photos. Does anyone have better scans or identifications for some of them?



So far I have identified:
Black Praerie Chicken (top row, 2nd from left)
Two Strike (second row, 2nd f.l.)
Good Voiced Crow (second row, 3rd f.l.)
Little Thunder & wife (second row, 4th f.l.)
and of course Satanta (third row, 2nd f.l.) and Custer (both not by Cross)

Thank you
Dietmar

[ephriam]

In the third row, fourth from the left: Fast Bear. And in the fourth row, fourth from left: Black Teeth's pappoose (see Princeton collection); also labeled as White Bull's daughter.

And here is another advertising card by Cross:



First row, left to right:
Red Shirt (by D. S. Mitchell), Red Eagle's squaw, Cheyenne Indian, Black Tongue.
Second row, l to r:
Spotted Tail Jr. Squaw and Papoose; Attack on Wagon Train; Spotted Tail's Girls, Cheyenne Chief.
Third Row, l to r
Cheyenne Black Horse, STanding Bear's Girls, Two Bears in citizen's dress, Yankton Indian
Fourth Row, l to r
Yankton Ind., Spotted Tail, The Kidder Massacre, Flat Foot

[grahamew]

I'm sure I've seen Flat Foot identified, possibly on this board (!), as the Cheyenne Little Hawk.

What's the text say under the man at the right of the top row on your photo, Dietmar?

[Dietmar]

I only have that small sample from a norwegian (!) museum website. But if I can trust my eyes the first two words are: "Kill Eagle". He could be the Blackfoot Sioux leader!?

And yes, the photo of Flat Foot is also labeled as Little Hawk, Cheyenne.

Ephriam´s photo is right now offered at Ebay:
tinyurl.com/p4cd9

If you take a look at the photo of Opealis, Cheyenne chief, I am not sure about the identification because I have another Cross photo that shows this man as Red Skirt, probably Minneconjou.

(Made e-Bay link shorter! -- DM)

[grahamew]

The only photo I have of Red Skirt is in Greene's Yellowstone Command, taken in 1884 and it's pretty hard to tell if it's the same man. It's kind of a sad photo with Red Skirt and his companion, John Sans Arc dressed partly in civilian clothing and the former, with his hair cut, dressed in leggings that don't sem to fit him.

I've seen Black Tongue identified only as "Cheyenne Indian" on various internet sites - on at least one, someone's photoshopped his paint out!

[agnes]

Dear Grahame and Dietmar!

Probably that man is Kill Eagle at the right of top row.
There's a drawing about him:



This drawing was made in Oct 1878 by W. A. Rogers.

Sincerely:
Agnes

[grahamew]

I've just looked at the larger picture of Opealis and I'm still not sure. He looks older than Red Skirt in the Greene book, but the hair is longer - of course this means nothing; he could've grown it again.

[agnes]

Dear Grahame!

I haven't the book "Yellowstone Command" by Green, thus I never saw the about Red Skirt. Could You share it with me?

Thanks You!
Sincerely:
Agnes

[Dietmar]

Here is the Red Skirt photo by Cross I have from an auction site (I hope the information is reliable):



and some better scans from my first photo:


Good Voiced Crow



Little Thunder & wife



Praerie Chicken

[agnes]

Dietmar,

Thanks for the photos! I never saw these!! Thus thanks again!
Could I ask what auction site came these pictures?

I looked the photo of Red Skirt then that Cheyenne man Opealis. What a surprise! They are same persons really! Also their ages is the same. Now an exciting question: who is that man? The possibly Miniconjou Red Skirt or the Cheyenne Opealis?

Agnes

[grahamew]

Hi Agnes

Here's the picture of Red Skirt from the Greene book, along with a closer shot of his face:

[grahamew]

Cross is also the photographer of the images of Sitting Bull and his band at Fort Randall that have long been credited to Bailey, Dix and Mead - although I believe Stanley Morrow's name is sometimes mentioned in connection to these images.

One Bull and Black Prairie Chicken:




"Brave Bear and his wife" - though the "wife" is a man!





Sitting Bull and family





And the rather curious Eat Dog and his family - curious, because all the others feature men and women dressed pretty much "traditionally", and must be some of the last pictures of the Lakota to do so before everyday clothing consisted of handouts and castoffs.





Some more Cross photos of Sitting Bull's band can be found here:

www.yanktonsioux.com/history.htm


If you can find it, check out Frank Goodyear's article, "The Narratives of Sitting Bull's Surrender: Bailey, Dix & Mead's Photographic Western." I read it in Dressing in Feathers: The Construction of the Indian in American Popular Culture, edited by S. Elizabeth Bird (Westview Press, Boulder, 1996). Goodyear is the author of the photographic history of Red Cloud, referred to in the Red Cloud photos thread.

[buffaloman]

Dietmar-

There was a CDV offered on eBay a couple of years ago of the individual at the bottom row, 1st photo, of the man with Spencer carbine and knife. He was identified as "Whites Paints His Ears".

-Bob

[agnes]

Dear Grahame!

Thanks for the photo of Red Skirt!

From that portrait hard to tell if he is Opealis by Cross. For me they are different persons.

Sincerely:
Agnes

[grahamew]

That's what I think too.