McKenney, Thomas L. and James Hall. “Me-Te-A. A Pottawatomie Chief.”

Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall.  “Me-Te-A. A Pottawatomie Chief.”  Philadelphia: F. W.  Greenough, 1838.  From the McKenney & Hall History of the Indian Tribes of North America.  Philadelphia: 1837-44.  8 ¾ x7 5/8 (image).  Octavo edition.  Lithograph by J. T. Bowen. Full original hand coloring.  Light transference of text.  Light white spot by nose.   Else, good condition.  Sold as is.  A/A

A handsome print from a series of striking lithographs from McKenney & Hall’s momentous portfolio of Native American portraits.  These prints document an important part of American history: the great leaders of the Indian nations which have disappeared since the mid-nineteenth century.  Thomas McKenney, head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs for many years, was a champion of American Indians and fought throughout his tenure to preserve something of their culture, which he recognized as an integral part of the history of the United States.  As his legacy, we have a gallery of portraits of Indians by artists such as James Otto Lewis, Charles Bird King and George Cooke.