| James Otto Lewis Gallery |
| Aboriginal Portfolio | |||
| The American Indian as a subject for study long occupied the attention of the U.S. Congress. A significant number of Indian pictures were produced during the first half of the nineteenth century and were executed by artists commissioned by the Federal government. James Otto Lewis was so employed for nearly fifteen years, working primarily in Wisconsin and Indiana. He painted portraits which eventually appeared in his Aboriginal Portfolio. Issued in serial parts in Philadelphia during 1835-36, it was the first series of its kind ever published. Born in Philadelphia in 1799, Lewis began his career there as an engraver in 1815. In 1819 he made his first excursion to the Great Lakes frontier with Governor Lewis Cass of Michigan Territory and from 1823-34 was officially assigned to paint Indian portraits in the West. In this capacity, he was present at the signing of the Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1825 and at Fond du Lac in 1826. In October of the latter year, he was again present when treaties were negotiated with the Pottawatomi and Miami in Indiana. The following summer he was at Buttes des Morts on the Fox River in Wisconsin to witness the signing of the Treaty of Green Bay. The Aboriginal Portfolio was his master work. 'The original edition is the first published collection, the rarest work on western Indians...' (Samuels, ...Encyclopedia..., p. 288). It was completed two years before the McKenney & Hall portfolio. It is interesting to note that McKenney & Hall borrowed some of the designs for inclusion in their portrait gallery; a work which Bennett refers to as 'more glamourous' than the Aboriginal Portfolio, but less 'convincing.' (Bennett, p. 68) The Portfolio is important to present study because at least five of Charles Bird King's surviving Indian portraits are based on Lewis' models. Since none of Lewis' original drawings are extant, the lithographs in his portfolio are presumed to be fairly accurate representations of his work, and the only surviving examples of it. | |||
| Publication City: Philadelphia Medium: hand-colored lithographed plates Dimensions: 12 x 19 inches (page size) Date: 1835-36 | |||
| SELECTIONS FROM THIS WORK | |||
 A Celebrated Ottawa Chief details |  A Miami Chief details |  Ash-E-Taa-Na-Quet, A Celebrated Chippeway Chief details |  Brewett, A Miami Chief details |  Caa-Taa-Ke-Mung-Ga, A Miami Chief details |  Caw-Taa-Waa-Be-Ta details |  Cha-Co-To details |  Chippeway Squaws details |  Francis Godfroy, A Miami Chief details |  Jack-O-Pa, A Chippeway Chief details |  Kaa-Nun-Der-Waaguinse-Zoo or The Berry Picker details |  Kee-O-Tuck-Kee, A Pottowattomie Chief details |  Ker-O-Menee, A Winnebago Chief details |  Kitch-Ee-I-Aa-Ba or The Big Buck details |  Mac-Cut-I-Mish-E-Ca-Cu-Cac, A Sae Chief details |  Me-No-Quet, A Pottowattomie Chief details |  Men-Dow-Min or The Corn details |  Mi-A-Qu-A, A Miami Chief details |  Mo-Wan-Za or The Little Wolf details |  Na-Mas or The Little Sturgeon details |  Na-She-Mung-Ga, A Miami Chief details |  O-Che-Na-Shink-Kaa details |  O-Wan Ich-Koh, A Winnebago Chief details |  Pach-E-Po details |  Pe-A-Jick, A Chippewa Chief details |  Pe-Che-Co, A Pottowattomie Chief details |  Pe-Schick-Ee, A Chippeway Chief details |  Pen-Now-We-Ta, A Miami Chief details |  She-Sheba, Winnebago Chief details |  Shounk-Chunk, The Black Wolf details |  Sun-A-Get, A Pottawatomie Chief details |  Ta-Ma-Kake-Toke details |  Tens-Qua-Ta-Wa or The One That Opens the Door details |  The Son, A Miami Chief details |  Too-Sha-Na-Gan-Ka or The Little Otter details |  Tshu-Gue-Ga details |  Wa-Kaun, Winnebago Chief details |  Waa-Ba-Sha details |  Waa-Kaun-See-Kaa or The Rattle-Snake details |  Young Miami Chief details |
