J.E. Jones Photographic Album, circa 1904
Photographic album
0.2 cubic feet (1 flat box)
Location: 0316
Collection #: 068
Accession #: 2004.165
Introduction
Photographic album with 45 photographs by J. E. Jones, whose images document the Sioux Indians at the Cheyenne River Agency in South Dakota, the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Indians at the Fort Belknap Agency in Montana, and the Western Apache Indians at the San Carlos Agency in Arizona. The photographs show both the natural and built landscape of the agencies, but the primary focus of the collection is the lifeways and material culture of Apache, Assiniboine, Gros Ventre, and Sioux Indians. Collection highlights include a group of 10 images taken during a July 4th celebration, showing a variety of Indian dances including the Assiniboine Fool Society dance, a group portrait of 16 Apache police officers, and many individual and group portraits of persons from the Apache, Assiniboine, and Gros Ventre tribes dressed in traditional clothing.
Biography
John Edward Jones, son of John Wesley Jones (1824-1881) and Nancy Ann Bennett (1829-1879) was born in Clark County, IL in November 1863. He moved to Labette County, KS with his family in March, 1873. By 1899 he was teaching at the Colorado River Reservation in Arizona. He married Marie Frances Wilda in 1904 and they had one daughter and two sons. He died in 1922 in McKinley, OK.
Scope & Content Note
The album consists of 45 silver gelatin prints, 44 of which are 5 x 7 inch prints and one 5 x 3.5 inch print. The first photograph is a portrait of Jones, who also appears in several other scenes. Ten photographs depict agency buildings, landscapes, and other agency scenes, while the remaining thirty-four document the lifeways and material culture of the Sioux, Western Apache, Assiniboine, and Gros Ventre or Astina Indian tribes. The photographs were taken in the field at the Cheyenne River, San Carlos, and Fort Belknap Indian agencies.
A highlight of the album are the ten photographs taken during a July 4th celebration held at the agency. Two photographs are especially significant. First, is an extremely rare view of the Assiniboine Fool Society dance, in which hooded members of the Fool Society (a men’s society) speak backwards in imitation of Inktomi the trickster, butcher a buffalo or cow, and spray blood and bits of meat on those in attendance. The image shows ten hooded Fool Society members standing in a group. Second, is a photograph taken inside the medicine dance tent showing painted participants behind a screen of boughs.
Notes to Researchers
Inside the front cover of the album is a signed portrait photograph of J. E. Jones; he also appears in one other collection image. Each album page has a typed paper label identifying the photograph on that page. In the container list, where Jones uses the word “squaw” in his original labels the words “woman” or “female” have been substituted. Photographs are cataloged in the image database along with a digital reproduction.
At some point Mr. Jones gave 29 photographs taken at the San Carlos Apache Agency to anthropologist Pliny E. Goddard. These photographs may be related to the San Carlos images in this collection. The Goddard photographs are in the collection of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology.
Subject Terms
Personal Names:
Enemy Boy
Jones, J. E.
Rustler, George
Tall Youth, Mrs.
Corporate Names:
United States-Office of Indian Affairs-Cheyenne Agency
United States-Office of Indian Affairs-Fort Belknap Agency
United States-Office of Indian Affairs-San Carlos Agency
Subject Headings:
Apache Indians-Gambling
Apache Indians-Jewelry
Apache Indians-Music
Assiniboine Indians-Montana
Assiniboine Indians-Rites and ceremonies
Atsina Indians-Montana
Atsina Indians-Rites and ceremonies
Cemeteries-Montana-Fort Belknap Agency
Cradleboards
Dams-Montana
Deserts-Arizona
Group portraits
Headgear
Indian baskets
Indian blankets
Indian dance
Indian reservation police-Arizona
Indian reservation police-Montana
Indians of North America-Clothing
Pack animals
Photographers-West (U.S.)
Photographs
Portrait photographs
Remington pistols
Siouan Indians-South Dakota
Tipis
United States-Flags
Western Apache Indians-Arizona
Wickiups
Processing Information
The album was purchased in July 2004.
Copyright
The J. E. Jones Photographic Album is the property of the Donald C. & Elizabeth M. Dickinson Research Center, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Literary right, including copyright, belongs to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, with the exception of copyrighted artwork images and published literary works, which are the property of the respective copyright holders. It is the responsibility of the researcher, and his/her publisher, to obtain publishing permission from individuals pictured, relevant copyright holders, and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Copyright
The collection is open for research. It is advisable for researchers to discuss their proposed research with staff prior to visiting the Center.
Preferred Citation
J.E. Jones Photographic Album, Box ##, Folder ##, Dickinson Research Center, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Container List
Series 1: J.E. Jones
ca. 1904
Accession # | Title/Description |
2004.165.01 | J. E. Jones [Portrait of J. E. Jones], ca. 1904 |
Series 2: Cheyenne River Agency, South Dakota
ca. 1904
Accession # | Title/Description |
2004.165.02 | Cheyenne River Agency, S. Dak., ca. 1904 |
2004.165.03 | Sioux Indians waiting for rations, Cheyenne River Agency, ca. 1904 |
Series 3: San Carlos Agency, Arizona
ca. 1904
Accession # | Title/Description |
San Carlos Agency | |
2004.165.04 | San Carlos Agency, Arizona, ca. 1904 |
2004.165.05 | Prospector’s outfit, San Carlos, ca. 1904 |
2004.165.06 | Cactus; San Carlos, Arizona; J. E. Jones standing at base, ca. 1904 |
2004.165.07 | Gila River, San Carlos, ca. 1904 |
2004.165.08 | Apache camp, San Carlos, ca. 1904 |
2004.165.09 | Apache home, San Carlos [Wickiup], ca. 1904 |
Portraits | |
2004.165.10 | Apache Indians [Two Apache women and a boy in front of wickiup], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.11 | Apache [woman] [Young Apache woman, dress, shawl, silver jewelry, facial painting], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.12 | Apache [woman] and baby [Apache woman with baby in Apache cradleboard], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.13 | Apache [women] [Two Apache women, fancy dresses, shawls, jewelry, playing cards], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.14 | Apache [women] [Two Apache women in dresses in front of wickiup], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.15 | Apache [woman] [Apache woman, dress, shawl, silver jewelry, facial painting], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.16 | Apache [women] [Six Apache women of various ages, dresses and shawls], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.17 | Apache home scene [Apache family group, one-bow Apache fiddle, woven baskets], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.18 | Apache Indians [Group of Apache Indians gambling, Model 1890 Remington Single-Action Army revolvers], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.19 | Apache police [16 Apache police officers pose in front of the jail, badges, Springfield rifles], ca. 1904 |
Series 4: Fort Belknap Agency, Montana
ca. 1904
Accession # | Title/Description |
Fort Belknap Agency | |
2004.165.20 | Fort Belknap Agency, Montana [Agency buildings in winter], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.21 | Branding cattle, Fort Belknap [Horses, corrals, tipis, agency buildings], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.22 | Dam across Milk River near agency, Fort Belknap, ca. 1904 |
2004.165.23 | Peoples Creek Canyon, Fort Belknap reservation, ca. 1904 |
2004.165.24 | Government sawmill, Fort Belknap reservation, ca. 1904 |
2004.165.25 | St. Paul’s Mission, Fort Belknap reservation, ca. 1904 |
July 4th Celebration | |
2004.165.26 | 1200 Indians in camp to celebrate 4th of July [Tipis], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.27 | Grosventre Camp [Four Gros Ventre Indians, including one policeman, in front of tipi], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.28 | Assiniboin Indians [Assiniboine Indian medicine dance tent with American flags], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.29 | Assiniboin [women’s] dance [Assiniboine women dance in circle in front of large tent], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.30 | Assiniboin & Grosventre star dance, Fort Belknap [Large dance group, American flags], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.31 | Grosventre Braves’ dance, Fort Belknap [Gros Ventre men dance, others sit on ground], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.32 | Assiniboin [female] dance, Fort Belknap [Assiniboine women dance in circle, headdresses], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.33 | Assiniboin Indians ready for the dance, Fort Belknap [Assiniboine men seated in a row, knee bells], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.34 | Assiniboin Fools’ dance, Fort Belknap [Masked Assiniboine Fool Society dancers], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.35 | Assiniboin Medicine dance, Fort Belknap [Tent interior with dancers and observers], ca. 1904 |
Portraits | |
2004.165.36 | Grosventre Indians, Catholic communicants, Fort Belknap [Group portrait of Gros Ventre Indians], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.37 | Assiniboin Indians, Fort Belknap [Assiniboine family in traditional clothing in front of tipi], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.38 | Grosventre Indian, Fort Belknap [Elderly Gros Ventre man with walking staff], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.39 | Assiniboin Indians, Fort Belknap [Assiniboine man & woman in traditional clothing], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.40 | Assiniboin Indians, Fort Belknap [Two Assiniboine men in traditional clothing, Winchester rifles, headdresses], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.41 | Enemy Boy, Assiniboin, Fort Belknap [Assiniboine man in traditional clothing, Winchester rifle], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.42 | Mrs. Tall Youth, Assiniboin, Fort Belknap [Assiniboine woman in traditional clothing], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.43 | George Rustler, Assiniboin, Fort Belknap [Assiniboine man, flag, peace pipe, feather fan, badge], ca. 1904 |
Cemeteries | |
2004.165.44 | Grosventre cemetery, Fort Belknap reservation [Tree interment, young Gros Ventre boy], ca. 1904 |
2004.165.45 | Assiniboin cemetery, Fort Belknap reservation [Aboveground burials with skulls and bones], ca. 1904 |