A Guide to the William S. Soule Indians Photograph Album, ca. 1869-1876


Descriptive Summary
	Creator:	Soule, William S.
	Title	William S. Soule Indians Photograph Album, ca. 1869-1876
	Extent	1 photograph album
	Language	English.
	Repository	Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin

Creator Sketch

William S. Soule (1836-1908) was the photographer at Fort Sill, Indian Territory, from its founding in 1869 to the end of the Indian campaigns, 1874-1875. Originally from New England, Soule moved to the West as a photographer in 1868, first working at Fort Dodge, Kansas, then at Camp Supply in Indian Territory with General Philip Sheridan's campaigning troops. As the photographer for the U. S. Army at Fort Sill beginning in 1869, he photographed the construction of the fort as well as many of the persons and events associated with the Indian Wars in that area. Soule left Fort Sill in 1875 to return to the East where he married Ella Blackman and established his photography practice. From 1882 until his death, he owned and operated the Soule Art Company in Boston.

Scope and Contents

Original photograph album contains 40 images, primarily studio portraits of American Indians, taken by William S. Soule in Indian Territory, ca. 1869-1875. There are numerous portraits of Comanche, Kiowa and Kiowa Apache chiefs, including Big Tree, Quanah Parker, Otter Belt, Dog Eater, White Man Chief, Cetinpart, and Dangerous Eagle. Many others are of relatives of chiefs or of unidentified individuals. There are two photographs of children who had been held captive by the Cheyenne and Comanche. A collage of individual portraits in one print includes noted chiefs Pacer, Santana, Kicking Bird, Lone Wolf, and White Horse around a photograph of Pacer's camp. Outdoor photographs depict Kiowa Apache, Cheyenne, and Comanche camps as well as Fort Sill officers' quarters and hospital and the Medicine Bluffs area. One photograph at Medicine Bluffs Pathway features several Black soldiers. The album is inscribed to "A. B. Stephenson. San Antonio, Texas. January 1st, 1876."

Restrictions

Some restrictions apply. Copy photoprints available for viewing.


Index Terms

	Subjects
		Big Tree--Pictorial works.
		Cetinpart--Pictorial works.
		Dangerous Eagle--Pictorial works.
		Dog Eater--Pictorial works.
		Otter Belt--Pictorial works.
		Topin--Pictorial works.
		Towha--Pictorial works.
		White Man Chief--Pictorial works.
		United States. Army--Afro-American troops.
		Fort Sill (Okla.)--History--Pictorial works.
		Indian Territory--History--Pictorial works.
		Cheyenne Indians--Indian Territory--Pictorial works.
		Indian captivities--Pictorial works.
		Comanche Indians--Indian Territory--Pictorial works.
		Indians of North America--Dwellings--Indian Territory--Pictorial works.
		Indians of North America--Portraits
		Kiowa Apache Indians--Indian Territory—Pictoriall works.
		Kiowa Indians--Indian Territory--Pictorial works.
		Wichita Indians--Indian Territory--Pictorial works.
	Persons
		Soule, William S.--Archives.
		Parker, Quanah, 1845?-1911--Pictorial works.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

William S. Soule Indians Photograph Album, ca. 1869-1876

Detailed Description of the Collection

Inventory

box

3Y7

Photograph album