James Otto Lewis | The aboriginal port folio. Philadelphia, 1835 1836, early depictions of native Americans - photo 1
James Otto Lewis | The aboriginal port folio. Philadelphia, 1835 1836, early depictions of native Americans - photo 2
James Otto Lewis | The aboriginal port folio. Philadelphia, 1835 1836, early depictions of native Americans - photo 3
James Otto Lewis | The aboriginal port folio. Philadelphia, 1835 1836, early depictions of native Americans - photo 4

James Otto Lewis | The aboriginal port folio. Philadelphia, 1835 1836, early depictions of native Americans

Lot 54
28.11.2023 14:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 25 400
AuctioneerSotheby´s
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1076577
Lot 54 | James Otto Lewis | The aboriginal port folio. Philadelphia, 1835 1836, early depictions of native Americans
Estimate value
£ 3 000 – 5 000
James Otto Lewis

The aboriginal port folio.Philadelphia: Lehman & Duval, published by the author, 1835‑1836

FIRST EDITION, folio (485 x 285mm.), 72 HAND-COLOURED LITHOGRAPHED PLATES (out of 80, as usual) after Lewis, printed by Lehman & Duval, later half morocco over contemporary marbled paper-covered boards, spine gilt, blue paper upper wrappers to original parts number 1, 3­6, 8 and 9 bound in (part 1 as a title at the front, others at the rear), without the extremely rare lithographed title, a few plates with very light soiling or faint thumb smudges, boards with a scattering of shallow chips, a couple of the bound-in wrappers with expert repairs

THE FIRST IMPORTANT SERIES OF NATIVE AMERICAN PORTRAITS TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES, predating both McKenney and Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America, and Catlin’s North American Indian Portfolio. The plates mostly depict prominent chiefs and other notable tribal members in great detail, recording their style of dress, face paint, jewellery, weapons, and other accessories; below each likeness is the name of the sitter along with their rank and tribal affiliation, which include the Sioux, Miami, Chippawa, Iowa, Shawnee, Potawatomi, Winnebago, and others.

James Otto Lewis (1799-1858) completed most of the original sketches during trips he made with Michigan Governor Lewis Cass in 1825-1827 to the Great Lakes area, where they attended the treaties of Prairie du Chien, Fort Wayne, Fond du Lac, and Green Bay. Though Lewis’ artistic abilities are often cited as being less sophisticated than contemporaries Catlin or Charles Bird King, the illustrations here possess an earnest simplicity and communicate the realities an artist would have faced while working rapidly in the field, “far removed from the abodes of civilization” and with the “rude materials” he was able to bring with him.

Originally issued in ten parts with eight lithographs per part, Lewis’s publication struggled to keep subscribers toward the end of its run, making the final two parts, in Reese’s words, “famously rare as a result”. Only three complete sets containing all 80 plates, a lithographed title page (issued with the final part), and three advertisement leaves are known to have sold at auction, making complete copies next to impossible to obtain. This copy, containing 72 plates and two of the three advertisement leaves, is very nearly complete, and, unlike most copies on the market, also contains seven of the ten original front wrappers.
Address of auction Sotheby´s
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United Kingdom
Preview
28.11.2023
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