A young Native American man is depicted in a full-length studio portrait on this cabinet card, made by J.B. Kingham at his Broadway studio in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory, almost certainly in the 1890s. Kingham operated at the address printed on the mount, between California and Reno on Broadway, during the territorial period, placing this image firmly within a decade of Oklahoma City's founding.
The subject wears a dark trade-cloth vest open at the chest, layered strand necklaces, and a long diagonal sash of large coin medallions running from shoulder to hip. A boldly striped blanket is draped across his lap and legs, and he holds a large feathered fan in his right hand while a feathered staff stands to his left. Wide metal arm cuffs, multiple finger rings, large circular ear ornaments, and a feathered headdress complete an exceptionally detailed ceremonial presentation.
Oklahoma City was established in the 1889 Land Run and became a commercial hub within the Unassigned Lands, with photographers such as Kingham serving both settlers and tribal peoples of the surrounding Indian Territory throughout the 1890s.
The mount reverse is blank. The recto imprint reads: J.B. Kingham, Between California and Reno, on Broadway, Oklahoma City, O.T.
From the collection of James Lee Soffer
Available payment options