Old West & Native American Auction
Lot 1494:
Description
Ashishishe (Curley) Hand-Colored Photo This is a captivating, large-format, hand-colored albumen print, which I can confidently identify as the celebrated portrait of Ashishishe (also known as Curley), a respected Crow scout. The original photograph is attributed to the renowned Western photographer F. Jay Haynes (1853-1921), likely captured in the Dakota Territory around 1883 during the Northern Pacific Railroad’s “Last Spike” ceremony, making this an important piece of period Western Americana. The subject is magnificently presented in full regalia, including an expansive, layered trade-bead necklace, a large choker, and a fringed, fur-trimmed coat. The sepia print has been richly enhanced by hand-coloring, though the pigments show typical fading, still revealing the vibrant detail of his attire. The photograph is mounted on heavy cardstock, the verso of which shows some faint, illegible pencil script. Condition is compromised by significant age and moisture damage, visible as heavy brown tide-marks and mottling on the top and right perimeters of the image, and severe spotting and discoloration on the reverse mounting board. Surface wear and minor scuffing are present throughout, consistent with its age as a late 19th-century photograph. H 13.5″, W 10″
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