: This wonderful, period, Card Mount Photograph measures approx. 3 7/8” by 5 1/2” and is mounted on its original photographer's mount (overall size of mount is 4 1/4” by 6 1/2”). The subject is identified in the negative as "High Bear, Chief" and the mount carries the mark of the Photographer - Lucien W. Stilwell.

    : In the late 19th century High Bear lived at the Pine Ridge Agency and at the time of the Wounded Knee Massacre he was at the Agency but did not take part in the “battle”. After Wounded Knee, High Bear was a member of the cast of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and in 1894 he married Ta-sina-wa-kan (Holy Blanket) also from Pine Ridge and described in the press at the time as the “niece of Little Wound, the Sioux Chief who led the hostile Indians against the United States troops in the battle of Wounded Knee”. It was a glorious ceremony held on the grounds of the Wild West Show. Holy Blanket is a widow, about thirty-two years old whose first husband had been killed at Wounded Knee.

    The Image is a striking, full length, standing portrait of the proud Lakota Warrior wearing a wonderful eagle feather headdress, a bone, hair-pipe breastplate, fur wrapped braids and metal armbands. A wool trade blanket with a wonderful, beaded blanket strip is wrapped around his waist. In his left hand he holds a fully bead decorated war club / skull cracker. The back of the mount carries advertising for the photographer’s collection of “Indian Relics; Sioux, Apache, etc.”.

    This rare and wonderful, Native American Lakota Sioux Indian Chief, Cabinet Card Photograph is, unfortunately, in good condition only. While the image exhibits sharp focus, strong contrast and rich tonality, there is physical damage and some staining as can be seen in the scans below. There is a small chip at the center of the top edge of the mount that slightly affects the Image and there is a strong, horizontal creas to the image and the mount that crossed the Cabinet card approx. 2 ¼” up from the bottom edge. There are some scattered stains in the upper third of the Photograph and some light water staining on the mount below the Image. Please see the scans below for a good representation of the content and the condition of this rare and still quite attractive, Cabinet Card Photograph of Sioux Chief High Bear.

    A very rare and original, 1880’s Cabinet Card Photo of Native American Sioux Indian Chief High Bear by Lucien W. Stilwell of Deadwood, South Dakota and, with all faults, still a fantastic addition to any collection!!!