This is an original photograph of General George Armstrong Custer and the officers of the 7th Cavalry and 6th Infantry on the steps of Custer’s house at Fort Lincoln by D.F. Barry including hand written D.F. Barry letters on his letterhead and a E.A. Brininstool signed letter from the ex-collection of the C.M. Russell Museum and John Kleinschmidt. The photograph is correctly blind stamped “Barry” in the image as well as having the D.F. Barry sticker on the back. The photograph features a wonderfully and professionally crafted gelatin silver construction that shows the 'Barry' blind stamp in the bottom right hand corner and includes the following officers: 1. Lieutenant Bronson 6th Infantry, 2. Lieutenant Wallace 7th Cavalry, 3. General Custer, 4. Lieutenant Hobson 7th Cavalry, 5. Mrs McDougall, 6. Mrs George Custer, 7. Captain McDougall, 8. Captain Yates, 9. Mrs. Yates, 10. Lieutenant Badger, 11. Charlie Thompson, 12. Annie Bates, 13. Mrs Calhoun, 14. Colonel Poland 6th Infantry, 15. Lieutenant Vonnam 7th Cavalry, 16. Colonel Carlin 7th Cavalry, 17. Captain William Thompson 7th Cavalry, 18. Captain Tom Custer 7th Cavalry, 19. Mrs. Moylan, 20. Lieutenant Calhoun, 21. Mrs. McIntosh, 22. Captain Moylan 7tyh Cavalry, 23. Lieutenant McIntosh 7th Cavalry. John Kleinscchmidt had direct correspondence with and this lot includes two signed letters regarding this photograph, one from the photographer directly D.F. Barry and the E.A. Brininstool. The letter identifies Lieutenant Badger, as Badger isn't listed on the muster roll for the 7th Cavalry and there is some debate as to where he came from to end up in this photograph of officers from the 6th Infantry and 7th Cavalry. The photograph also comes complete with the identifying list one hand written on original D.F. Barry letterhead and hand written and on typed out that includes the envelope with the original correspondence. There is also correspondence that accompany this photograph between John Kleinschmidt and Mr. E.A. Brininstool conversing on books related to the 7th Cavalry and discussion about the identity of Lieutenant Badger. Provenance: From the John Kleinschmidt collection which was on loan to the C.M. Russell Museum from 1987 to 1993 and included in the "The Cowboy West: 100 Years of Photography 1992-1993 exhibit. The condition of this D.F. Barry blind stamped collotype photograph is well preserved with the numbers corresponding to the accompanying letter identifying the officers written in pencil on the photograph but otherwise is in well preserved condition. The measurements of the frame of the photograph is 8 1/8" x 10 1/8" and the photograph itself measures 6" x 7 1/2". The collective weight of this framed photograph is 1lb.
David Francis Barry (1854-1934) was one of the most noted photographers of the American Indian and U.S. Army participants in the Sioux War of 1876 and is attributed with some of the most recognizable surviving images from this period in the history of the American West. Barry first came to the west in the 1870’s to apprentice under photographer O.S. Goff, who worked as the photographer at Fort Abraham Lincoln. It was from this post the Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led his Seventh U.S. Cavalry division in May 1876 to the battle of the Little Bighorn in southwestern Montana. This is considered one of the largest collection of Barry photographs from one historic Montana family offered for public sale.