Ft. Defiance and Oraibi, Arizona, Large Format Albumen Photographs by Hillers and Mindeleff, Ca 1880s

Lot 345

About Seller

6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States

With offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver, Cowan’s holds over 40 auctions each year, with annual sales exceeding $16M. We reach buyers around the globe, and take pride in our reputation for integrity, customer service and great results. A full-service house, Cowan’s Auctions specializes in Am...Read more

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Price	Bid Increment
$0	$25
$500	$50
$1,000	$100
$2,000	$250
$5,000	$500
$10,000	$1,000
$20,000	$2,500
$50,000	$5,000
$100,000	$10,000

About Auction

American History, Featuring the Property of N. Flayderman & Co. by Cowan's Auctions

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American History, Featuring the Property of N...

By Cowan's Auctions

Jun 9, 2017 - Jun 10, 2017

Set Reminder 2017-06-09 10:00:00 2017-06-10 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American History, Featuring the Property of N. Flayderman & Co. https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-history-featuring-the-property-of-n-flayderman-co-2392 Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

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Lot Description

Lot of 14 large format albumen photographs of cowboys, pueblo villages, and scenery near Ft. Defiance and Oraibi, Arizona. Images include: 5 photographs stamped by photographer Cosmos Mindeleff/ Season of 1885, and titled in pencil Sam, Upright Rocks Kiakima ruin near Zuni N.M., General View of Ft. Defiance from N(?) E., Ojo Calinete, view of house with portico occupying south end of NW cluster Zuni N.M., and Toaiolma(?) near Zuni N.M. Each measure 9.5 x 7.25 in., mounted, 14 x 11 in.; 2 unmarked photographs titled Sa-zgin--Black Rocks from the West and Standing Rock near Fort Defiance, 7 x 9.5 in., mounted, 11 x 14 in.; 6 photographs signed in the negative by John K. Hillers and titled in the negative Cliff Ruins Near Fort Wingate N.M., The Old __Tower Near Fort Wingate N.M., Tewa Mokitown, Orabi Mokitown, Dangers Rock Wolpi Ariz, and Mummy Cave Canon Del Muerte Ariz., 13 x 10 in., mounted, 14 x 11 in.; and untitled photograph of a man on a natural stone bridge across an empty river bed, 10 x 8 in. with mount.

Cosmos Mindeleff, under the employ of his brother, studied Pueblo architecture in the 1880s and pursued a career in archaeology as well as ethnology. The photographs offered in the lot are most likely from his survey of the great pueblos of Arizona and New Mexico for the Smithsonian Institute. He returned to Washington in 1888 to report his findings and present many valuable archaeological artifacts from the journey. By 1890, he left the Smithsonian to pursue a career in architecture in Arizona and attempted to fortify some of its structures. He ended his professional life as a reporter for various newspapers and enjoyed traveling around the world and writing.

John K. Hillers came to the United States from Europe in 1852 and worked as a policeman and soldier. Originally hired as a boatman for the second Powell expedition down the Colorado River in 1871, Hillers replaced Walter Clement Powell as one of the expedition's photographers. The opportunity marked the beginning of his 20-year career as a government photographer documenting the American West. The images by Hillers included in the lot are most likely from the first James Stevenson expedition to the Southwest.

Condition

Most are in good condition with pencil or ink marks from a previous owner along with some toning. Some have damp stains and wear to the mount, but the images remain in good condition.
Shipping Info
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