Orig. 1913 Native Am. Sepia Photo \"SINGING TO THE SPIRITS\" by Jos. Kossuth Dixon For Sale

This offering is for an Original 1913 Sepia Print reproduced from a photograph Published by RODMAN WANAMAKER (1863-1928). Entitled \"SINGING TO THE SPIRITS\" depicts a lone member of the Blackfeet Tribe, measures 4.25\" x 5.5\" and is printed on a leaf of light cream paper measuring 6.5\" x 10\". The photographs were taken during a 1908-1913 Expedition headed by Wanamaker whose chief photographer was Joseph Kossuth Dixon, the purpose of the expedition being to capture images that would soon become lost in history due to the rapidly changing environment of the American West.

Per ChatGPT:

The “SINGING TO THE SPIRITS”image belongs to the Blackfeet portion of the 1913 Third Rodman Wanamaker Expedition.

The Smithsonian’s Rodman Wanamaker collection and several university archives list “Scouts on the March” under the Comanche section. The regalia and posture in the known prints match Comanche scouting imagery: The Wanamaker expeditions photographed Comanche scouts in Oklahoma and the Southern Plains during the 1908 and 1909 expeditions.

1913 Joseph Kossuth Dixon sepia prints:

The 1913 sepia photogravures from the Rodman Wanamaker expeditions are among the most historically significant early‑20th‑century images of Native American life. They were produced from photographs taken during Wanamaker’s 1908–1913 expeditions, which aimed to document cultures he feared were being erased by U.S. policy and rapid modernization.

Rodman Wanamaker’s Vision:

Rodman Wanamaker (1863–1928), heir to the Wanamaker department‑store fortune, funded a series of major photographic expeditions in 1908, 1909, and 1913. His goal was to create a permanent visual record of Native American cultures, which he believed were endangered by federal assimilation policies. He also used the images to advocate for U.S. citizenship rights for Native Americans, a cause he championed publicly.

The expeditions’ principal photographer was Joseph Kossuth Dixon, who produced more than 8,000 images between 1908 and 1921. His photographs documented Plains tribes including the Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Crow, and Dakota, among others. The 1913 prints were part of a curated set of presentation images, often placed in museums or used in public lectures. The 1913 prints are sepia photogravures, a high‑quality intaglio printing process prized for tonal richness and archival stability. Subjects included portraits, ceremonial scenes, and ethnographic studies.

These prints were created for public exhibitions, lectures, and institutional placement, not for commercial sale. Wanamaker used them to promote his “vanishing race” narrative and to build public support for Native American citizenship. Sets of these photogravures were distributed to museums and cultural institutions as part of a coordinated educational campaign. They represent one of the earliest large‑scale photographic ethnographic projects in the United States. These presentation prints were distributed to museums and used in public lectures, making surviving examples historically significant.

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