Exceptional Artifact & Collectible Auction
Lot 406:
Original 1835 J.O. Lewis Hand Painted Lithograph of O-WAN-ICH-KOH or LITTLE ELK
Original 1835 J O Lewis hand painted lithograph ofO WAN ICH KOH or LITTLE ELK a Winnebago chief
J O Lewis first sketched LITTLE ELK in 1827 and this plate waspublished in 1835 by Lehman and Duval Philadelphia
James Otto Lewis 1799 to 1858 was an American artist andengraver known for producing one of the earliest publishedseries of Native American portraits
He worked throughout the Great Lakes region including MichiganWisconsin and Indiana during a period of intense treatynegotiations between the United States government and tribalnations
Lewis attended treaty councils between 1825 and 1828 undercommission from the Bureau of Indian Affairs creating portraitson the spot and in the field capturing chiefs and delegates asthey appeared during negotiations
The Aboriginal Port Folio published 1835 to 1836 inPhiladelphia is a collection of hand colored lithographs basedon his original paintings
It is historically significant as the first major publishedseries of Native American portrait lithographs in the UnitedStates containing 72 plates each depicting a Native Americanleader or scene
The images were printed by Lehman and Duval a leadinglithography firm of the era
This is one of the original plates from the first publication ofThe Aboriginal Port Folio in 1835 a hand painted lithographnumbered in pencil in the lower right corner
Lithograph measures approximately 17 3 4 in by 10 1 4 in
It is housed in a cushioned board frame measuring about 20 in by16 in
From the late Leonard E Wally Estate Collection
Condition
Minor thumbing
Otherwise excellent condition
Edges may show tattering typical of paper from this era
A strong example of early American lithography Native Americanportrait art Winnebago tribal history and original plates fromthe Aboriginal Port Folio
Condition: Authentic
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