The William F. Cody Archive: Documenting the life and times of Buffalo Bill

Commentary on "Chief Joe Black Fox, Sioux Indian"

Gertrude Käsebier photographed many of the Sioux Indians from the Buffalo Bill Wild West show multiple times, both formal and informal. Chief Joe Black Fox seems to be one of her favorites. There are a couple images in particular, one formal and one informal, that are great to consider and discuss when thinking about the nuances in the difference between formal and informal Käsebier portraits. There's a beautiful formal portrait of Joe Black Fox in a headdress, wrapped in fur, and with an arm cuff on that shows him as a regal chief. Then there's a very playful image of the Chief without the headdress, wrapped in a blanket, holding a cigarette, smirk on his face, beautiful hair adornment, earrings, pin, breast plate, but gazing right at her and giving that playful smirk. So you know that the relationship is developing and that Käsebier is able to pull out from this one sitter, this one man, his real character. Both the strength of the chief of a tribe and also the character that is this man in reality, showing personality, and showing the burgeoning friendship that he and the photographer are building.