north american mission board
Thomas Loraine McKenney was an American statesman and author.
After the abolition of the U.S. Indian trading program in 1822, then Secretary of War John C. Calhoun established a position in the War Department called Superintendent of Indian Affairs (later to become part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs). McKenney was the first appointed to this position and held it until 1830. Over the years, he worked tirelessly to promote Indian-American relations, advocating for the interests of Indians and striving to preserve the memory of their vanishing culture. Despite his interest in Native American history, McKenney sought to have them assimilated to Euro-American culture through Christian education.
McKenney commissioned leading artists, including Charles Byrd King, to paint portraits of Indian chiefs from more than twenty tribes who visited Washington on official business over a ten-year period. These portraits formed the basis of the government's National Portrait Gallery, first housed in the War Department and later transferred to the Smithsonian Institution. This gallery was featured in part in the three-volume History of the Indian Tribes of North America (1836-1844), with biographical sketches by McKenney, co-authored with Illinois lawyer and writer James Hall.
In 1865, a fire at the Smithsonian Institution destroyed all but a few of the portraits, which are now in the White House. Thus this three-volume book represents the only reliable source on the appearance of many of the most prominent leaders of Indian tribes.
James Hall was an American lawyer, judge, treasurer, and editor.
Hall studied law, fought in the War of 1812, served as a lawyer and circuit judge, newspaper and magazine editor, Illinois state treasurer, and banker in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition, he was also a historical and fiction writer. In 1828, Hall compiled the first western literary yearbook, Western Souvenir, and edited the Illinois Monthly Magazine. James Hall wrote a travel book, Letters from the West (1828), a novel, The Head of the Harp (1833), and several volumes of short stories.
Hall also contributed to the three-volume History of the Indian Tribes of North America (1836-1844). This book includes portraits of the chiefs of more than twenty Indian tribes, which were painted by noted artists of the day, with biographical sketches by Superintendent of Indian Affairs Thomas L. McKenney.
Henry James Warre was a British officer, traveler and artist.
Educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Warre began his service in British North America, including Canada, as adjutant (aide-de-camp) to his uncle, Sir R. D. Jackson, commander-in-chief of British forces. From 1845-1846, he traveled the country on a reconnaissance tour, visiting Oregon and British Columbia. Henry Warre later participated in the Crimean War, served as a colonel in New Zealand from 1861-1865, and made a sea voyage to the South Island.
Warre had a brilliant military career, rising to the rank of lieutenant general, commander of the Bombay Army. In 1881, while still in India, he retired and returned to London.
Henry Warre was a talented artist, and drew the surrounding vistas and landscapes in pencil and watercolor. He is best known for his books of colored plates, Sketches of North America and the Oregon Territory (1848) and Sketches in the Crimea (1856).
Man Ray, born Emmanuel Radnitzky, was an American visual artist who played a significant role in the Dada and Surrealist movements. His pioneering efforts in photography, alongside his work in painting and sculpture, have cemented his place as a major figure in modern art. Known for his innovative techniques and the ability to convey complex ideas through simple, striking visuals, Man Ray's contribution to the art world is profound.
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