ARTIST: James Otto Lewis
PUBLISHER: Published in Philadelphia.
MEDIUM: Lithograph, hand-colored,
DATE:
EDITION SIZE: Sheet size 11 1/8 x 17" (281 x 431 mm).
DESCRIPTION: Painted on the spot by J.O. Lewis. Hand-colored lithograph by Lehman & Duval. The Aboriginal Port-Folio of James Otto Lewis was, as he himself advertised, the first attempt to publish a portrait series of Indians involved in the treaty-making of the 1820s and early 1830s. Lewis was hired by the federal government to accompany Gov. Lewis Cass of Michigan to the treaty sites to make a visual record. Despite the historic importance of Lewis' artistic legacy, it was eclipsed shortly after its publication in 1834-36 by the more polished productions of George Catlin and McKenney and Hall. Precisely because of the Port-Folio's commercial failure, complete sets are rare today and even individual plates are scarce.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
CONDITION: Good condition save for some minor handling stains in the margins. Original hand coloring.
REFERENCE: Howes, U.S.iana, L-315.