Ancient Artifacts & Antiquities
Lot 327:
Original 1835 J.O. Lewis Hand Painted Lithograph of "The Little Crow"
Original 1835 J.O. Lewis Hand Painted Lithograph of "The Little Crow – A Celebrated Sioux Chief". J. O. Lewis initially did this sketch of "The Little Crow" in 1825. Published in 1835 by Lehman and Duval, Philadelphia. James Otto Lewis (1799–1858) was an American artist and engraver best known for creating one of the earliest published series of Native American portraits. He worked primarily in the Great Lakes region—Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana during a period of intense treaty negotiations between the U.S. government and tribal nations. Lewis worked under commission from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, attending treaty councils between 1825 and 1828. His portraits were made “on the spot and in the field, ” capturing chiefs and delegates as they appeared during negotiations. The Aboriginal Port Folio (published 1835–1836 in Philadelphia) is a collection of hand-colored lithographs based on Lewis’s original paintings. It is historically significant because it was the first major published series of Native American portrait lithographs in the United States. It contains 72 plates, each depicting a Native American leader or scene. The images were printed by Lehman & Duval, a prominent lithography firm of the time. This is one of the original plates of the first publication of The Aboriginal Port Folio from 1835. A hand painted lithograph numbered in pencil in the bottom right corner. Lithograph measures 17 3/4 × 10 1/4 inches approximately. It is housed in a cushioned board frame which measures 20" by 16" approximately. Some age toning with a small hole in the top right corner as shown in photo. From the late Leonard E. Wally Estate Collection.
Condition: Authentic
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