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Lot 419, Indian girl on horseback, Utah.

Poignant insight into a lost world...

An important collection of Native American Images - including a portrait of the famous Sitting Bull - will be offered in the Photographica sale on Thursday 23rd October and is expected to fetch over £10,000.

The photographs were collected by the vendor’s great grandfather during his travels to America. He first journeyed to North America in 1862 to find out more about Native Indians and subsequently returned in 1866, 1874 and several times after that. The first three trips are described in a book that he wrote and published in 1890 entitled Sport and Adventures amongst the North American Indians.

The collection comprises 127 images taken by pioneering photographers including American government photographer John Karl Hillers (1843- 1925) and explorer and painter William. H. Jackson. It contains portraits as well as scenes of family and working life that provide a real insight into everyday living in the 1870s – 1880s. Estimates for the group lots range from £100 to £5,000.

The photographs were taken using the latest technology of the time; the invention of dry-plate made it possible for photographers to go into the wilds of native USA and document everyday life; and the use of traditional stereoscopic photography means the subjects in the portrait shots appear 3-Dimensional.

Hugo Marsh, Head of Photographica says: “This collection of photographs provides us with a greater understanding and a terrific insight into the lives of Native American Indians of the time. It is rare to see a large collection in such good condition.”