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Rare original circa-1920 black-and-white photograph showing a Native American family/community group gathered in a commercial town setting, with women, children and an older man visible beside an early automobile. A young non-Native boy is captured in motion in the foreground.
This is an unusually candid documentary image rather than a formal studio portrait. The Native American subjects appear naturally gathered in the background, with adults and children wearing a mixture of traditional-influenced and contemporary clothing typical of the period.
Prominent commercial signage behind the group includes lettering for “GLASS / WINDOW GLASS” and “OILS / OIL PAINT,” along with a large roadside advertising billboard whose upper wording appears to read “OVER 2?4,000,000 SOLD.” These details, together with the automobile, clothing and photographic characteristics, suggest a date of approximately 1918–1922.
Research into the clothing and historical context suggests a Southern Plains setting, possibly Oklahoma. Southwestern Oklahoma had substantial Kiowa, Comanche, Apache, Wichita and other Native communities during this period. No tribal affiliation or exact location is written on the photograph, however, and neither is represented here as positively identified.
An exceptional piece of early Native American vernacular photography showing Native people in an everyday town environment rather than the more commonly encountered posed studio or tourist imagery.
Condition: Original period photograph with visible age and handling wear, including creases, corner and edge wear, surface marks, small losses and other wear as photographed. The lower left corner has a significant crease. Image remains remarkably detailed, with numerous background elements visible upon enlargement. Please examine all photographs carefully.
Shipping: Photograph will be placed in a protective sleeve between rigid archival-quality backing and securely packaged for shipment. Shipping will include tracking and insurance.
