Tuko-See-Mathla, a Seminole Chief, Hand-Colored Litho by McKenney & Hall, 1836

This nineteenth-century engraving shows a liberty pole being raised in a town square in 1776, while a sign bearing the face of King George III is removed in the background. The rioto...

Presented is a rare, platinum Master Exhibition Print of Edward Curtis’ The Three Chiefs. Typical of Curtis’ Master Exhibition Prints, this platinum print is double-mounted, signed, with an embossed copyright credit and date stamp. His numeric notation “52-00” is in the photographic negative. Curtis photographed The Three Chiefs during his two weeks on a Blackfoot reservation in the summer of 1900. The photograph depicts three Piegan men in traditional dress on horseback, situated next to a small stream with an expansive cloud-filled sky behind them. The Piegans were the largest group in the Blackfoot Confederacy and still retained a majority of their original culture when Curtis visited the tribe. It reportedly took Curtis several days to find the perfect prairie backdrop and riders for this photo, yet his patience paid off. The image was pivotal in enabling Curtis to form his vision for his next project - his ambitious 20 volumes “North American Indian”publication. This print is believed to be one of only three oversized, platinum Master Exhibition Prints of this image in existence. It was printed by Curtis specifically for his East Coast exhibition tour of 1905-1906. Curtis chose only a small number of what he believed to be his finest negatives to produce prints for the show. He never again mounted an exhibition of his work, nor produced such distinctive, large-format platinum prints. “The extraordinary rarity of The Three Chiefs becomes clearer when viewed in the context of other Master Exhibition Prints, principally the 108 in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the largest collection in existence. The Museum, however, is missing a number of early, iconic images, including The Three Chiefs. It has long been assumed that these missing prints were held elsewhere, possibly in the collection of The New York Public Library. This theory has been substantiated by the Curtis scholar, Bruce Kapson, who unearthed a cache of letters from Curtis to J.P. Morgan and to Morgan's librarian, Ms. Bella da Costa Greene in the Pierpont Morgan Library archives in 2007. The correspondence establishes that 58 of the 100 prints in The New York Public Library's collection are actually Master Exhibition Prints, specifically selected by Curtis for J.P. Morgan as the best examples of his work. A typed letter, dated March 1907, from Ms. Greene to Curtis states: 'I enclose herewith a list of Indian photographs which you sent to Mr. J.P. Morgan'. The letter is accompanied by a handwritten list of 58 photographs, including The Three Chiefs (print number 52.) Morgan donated this group of prints to The New York Public Library in 1912.” (Christie’s Live Auction 1893 Catalog, 2007). Curtis’ platinum prints make up less than 1/2 of 1% of all of the work he created. Curtis’ platinum prints were created only for exhibition or direct sales to patrons and they were always made by Curtis himself. One significant dealer in Curtis prints...

Offered is a map of North America entitled Amerique du Nord from 1864. This rare, separately published wall map was produced by Adolphe Hippolyte Dufour. This map includes vibrant an...

This 1945 color poster features an American pilot and a ground crew Staff Sergeant shaking hands and the words “Seeing the Job Through! Enlist in the Regular Army Air...

This is a highly desirable hanging wall map of the "World at One View", published in 1847 by Ensign and Thayer, New York. This pictorial map was printed as a broadside and features...

Offered is a collage featuring a typed letter signed by baseball’s Walter Johnson, a reproduction scorecard from the 1924 World Series, and a photo of Johnson in his uniform. All elements are framed and matted together in a custom-built frame. The letter is dated November 7, 1925 and addressed to a Mr. Leo Bicher. In his letter, he explains how he missed the letter at first and will send a signed baseball to Bicher if there is another exposition in the future. At the bottom, Johnson signed his name in dark ink. The score card celebrates the Washington Base Ball Club as the 1924 World Series pennant winners. The Washington Senators...

This 'Nifatali-tali' necklace is a type of necklace worn by the people of Northern Nias Island, North Sumatra. This necklace is equally worn by men and w...

This 'Nifatali-tali' necklace is a type of necklace worn by the people of Northern Nias Island, North Sumatra. This necklace is equally worn by men and w...

Fulani, Nigeria Hand-cast brass beads on a hand-woven cord 19th century Measures: 17 in. / 43 cm 8 oz. / 227 g.

A 10-strand necklace hand-crafted from red-orange Naga beads from the early 20th century and strung with natural fibers. Necklaces such as these were a stat...

This unique tribal cuff bracelet originates from the Karen Hill Tribe of Northern Thailand via tribal silversmith techniques that have been handed...

A South Indian (Kerala) wooden boat prow from the mid-20th century. This exquisite example of a hand-carved boat prow from Kerala features a steeply pointe...