Grand capitain des guerre des arapahoes. [Great War Chief of the Arapahoes]. Full-length albumen CDV studio portrait. Denver, Colorado Territory:  Chamberlain, [1866?]. Publisher's imprint printed to mount verso. Period ink identification to mount verso “Grand Capitaine de Guerre Des Araphoes.” 

A full-length view of a Native American man, identified in a period hand in French as a “Great War Chief of the Araphoes.” Peering directly at the photographer’s lens, a striped cloth is draped around the man’s hand as a slight enigmatic smile touches the corners of his mouth. He is dressed in hide leggings and moccasins and something of a pendant can be noted hanging off his neck. His long hair is braided. The Arapahoe Captain is standing in front of a distinctive patriotic backdrop with American flags flanking him. 

Another view of the same man from the same session, dated 1866, is held at the Massachusetts Historical Society (Phot. 170.235). In their view, the figure stands before the same patriotic backdrop without the blanket. The inscription, dated 1866, reads: "[Ulay?] - brother of Shawanoah, Ute."  The clothing and location, however, are certainly Arapaho or Southern Cheyenne. 

Photographed by William G. Chamberlain (1815-1910) in Denver, who produced many prolific images of the West throughout his career, particularly in Colorado (Mautz 163).

A striking view.

[Native Americans, Native American History, American Indian, Indian History] [Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards, Stereographs]
[Western Americana, Western History, Western Expansion, Wild West]