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

Commentary on "Willie Spotted Horse"

Gertrude Käsebier's portraits of the young child, Willie Spotted Horse, are quite traditional. His arm is resting on a chair, as would so many portraits be taken, traditional portraits, studio portraits over the course of the beginnings of photography in American and in Europe, hands on top of one another, gazing directly into the camera. He's wearing clothing and a headdress very indicative of a position that he would not have gained at this young age, of a status that he wouldn't have yet attained. So interesting that the child is wearing chief's clothing. Is this a smaller headdress that belonged to one of the other men in the show, or is this one that was specifically made for him? It took Käsebier so many years of trying to photograph Sioux children traveling with the Wild West show, it's very significant that Willie, in this attire, is one of the few that she gets to meet and to spend some time with photographing, very much looking like an older soul than he really is.