In 1883, William Cody, a.k.a. "Buffalo Bill" sought to cash in on his fame that had been building in the West, and so he created a traveling show called Buffalo Bill's Wild West. The show included sharpshooting acts, horse riding demonstrations, and reenactments of various battles and events in the history of the American west. Some of his hired performers were Native Americans, many of them Sioux who had fought in the Great Sioux War of 1876 and the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
The show experienced almost immediate success and toured annually across the U.S. and in Europe, even performing for Queen Victoria and the Pope himself! In 1898, New York based photographer Gertrude Kasebier spotted the troupe parading past her 5th avenue studio, and she immediately ran out to see if she could bring the Sioux men and their wives in to her studio. The result is this amazing collection of photos that shows the faces of a culture and people that has largely been lost.
Samuel American Horse
Holy Frog and Big Turnips
Joe Black Fox
Iron White Man
Flying Hawk
Luke Big Turnips
Sammy Lone Bear
American Horse and Wife
Shooting Pieces
Charging Thunder
Whirling Horse
Whirlwind Horse
Chief Iron Tail
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