EIGHT 1873 "MODOC WARS" STEREOVIEWS BY MUYBRIDGE

A significant visual archive of eight (8) outdoor stereoviews by pioneer photographer Eadweard Muybridge, documenting the 1872–1873 Modoc War in Northern California and southern Oregon, under government and military auspices.

Each mounted on publisher's cardstock mounts (comprising 4 yellow/orange mounts and 4 purple/lavender mounts) with view title, series title ("The Modoc War"), Muybridge's photographer imprint,  Bradley & Rufolson's publisher imprints, and copyright statements. Mount versos printed with publisher's series headings (Photographic Illustrations of the Pacific Coast / Modoc War and Lava Beds), checklist typography, and studio credit lines. Versos retain period and collector pencil inventory markings.

Important visual archive of the 1872–1873 Modoc War, documenting U.S. Army positions, field outposts, terrain, and commanders during the campaign against Captain Jack in the Lava Beds of northern California. Views  include:

1. 1622 - Donald Mc Ky, the celebrated Warm Spring Indian Scout. 

Half-length seated portrait of the famed frontier scout Donald McKay (ca 1836-1899) holding a Sharps carbine. 

2. 1626 - A Modoc Brave on the War Path.

Outdoor view of a Native American posed with a Spencer carbine, a Hardee hat resting on the lava rocks stacked as a barricade. 

3. 1620 - The Lava Beds. 

Outdoor view of the rough volcanic terrain. 

4.  1631 - "Our Own Correspondent" in the Lava Beds.

Field study of a war correspondent seated with notebook and pencil behind a pile of volcanic stones. An encampment is in view behind him. 

5. 1602 - Capt. Jack's Cave in the Lava Beds. 

Close-range view of the deep subterranean lava tube and cave fortress used as the primary Modoc stronghold.

6. 1606 - Panorama of Lava Beds from Signal Station at Tule Lake, Camp South.

Expansive view showing the sweeping lava fields and portion of the tent encampments. 

7. 1615 - On the Star for a Reconnaissance of the Lava Beds.

U.S. troops assembled in ranks in camp. 

8. 1616 - On the Lookout for an Attack at a Picket Station. 

U.S. soldiers taking cover with rifles aimed over a volcanic rock breastwork.

The Modoc War (1872–1873) was among the most fiercely contested and costly military engagements of the Western Indian Wars, fought across the treacherous, maze-like volcanic terrain of the Lava Beds south of Tule Lake. Following the killing of General Canby in April 1873, Muybridge traveled directly to the front lines with his mobile darkroom equipment, producing the definitive photographic record of the campaign, its battle sites, U.S. officers, and Indigenous participants.

Commissioned directly by the U.S. Army and San Francisco publishers Bradley & Rulofson, Eadweard Muybridge’s Modoc War series stands among the most celebrated and consequential bodies of combat photojournalism produced in the 19th-century American West. Working under grueling field conditions with a mobile darkroom wagon, Muybridge documented the unforgiving topography and fortified redoubts of the Lava Beds that allowed a small band of Modoc fighters to hold off overwhelming federal forces for months. Significant groupings from this series rarely appear on the market, with this eight-card run representing a remarkably well-preserved cornerstone archive of Western military and photographic history.

Very good condition overall, with high quality prints. The card mounts remain sturdy, flat, and intact with only minor peripheral wear and corner softening consistent with age.