STEREOVIEW OF JOHN WESLEY POWELL WITH TAU-RUV, A UTE WOMAN

John K. Hillers, photographer. No. 101. The Mirror case. Outdoor view of John Wesley Powell with Tau-ruv, a Ute woman. Albumen stereoview. N.p.: n.p., 1874. 

On yellow cardstock mount with "U.S. Topographical and Geological Survey of the Colorado River of the West by J.W. Powell and A.H. Thompson" printed to recto. Label with series title ("Indians of the Colorado Valley. U-IN-TA UTES."), view title, and photographer credit affixed to mount verso. Period inscription reads: "July 29th, 1875"

An incredible view from the Powell Expedition featuring the director himself, John Wesley Powell (1834-1902), conversing with Tau-ruv, a Ute woman, with both figures wearing native clothing. Powell wears hide trousers and a shirt with heavy fringe, and a cloth headband adorned with feathers around his head. Tau-ruv wears a fringed and beaded hide dress with a sash and belt with silver accents. 

The photographers of the survey mostly captured the geographic and topographic landscape and the Indigenous peoples of the West, and rarely captured members of the United States team.

A rare view. A copy is held at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG.96.32), but is seldom encountered. 

[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]