ExhibitsUSA Tours Photography Exhibition of Native American Life, 1889

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 31, 2004
Contact: Sarah McGreer
sarah@maaa.org

ExhibitsUSA Tours Photography Exhibition of Native American Life, 1889–1891

In Citizen's Garb: Southern Plains Native Americans, 1889–1891, opening September 1, 2004, at the Bell County Museum in Belton, Texas, explores the ways life and dress changed for the Kiowa, Comanche, and affiliated tribes during the late 19th century, a time of tremendous upheaval. As numerous Indian reservations were opened in the Oklahoma and Indian Territories, large-scale efforts were made to "civilize" the native peoples by forcing them to adopt Euro–American ways. The historic photographs of In Citizen's Garb reflect the changes in tribal culture as the native peoples gradually adapted to the new life demanded of them by the United States government.

The 53 gelatin silver prints that comprise this exhibition, modern restrikes made from original glass negatives, were taken from 1889 to 1891 by the team of William J. Lenny and William L. Sawyers of Purcell, Oklahoma. Lenny and Sawyers were among the enterprising businessmen who set up shop in the Oklahoma territory to make photographs for eastern consumption, where there was a great appetite for western images, particularly photographs of formerly "wild Indians."

Although the extraordinary images that make up In Citizen's Garb were not initially made for posterity, they provide an unparalleled window on the life of Native Americans a century ago and the process of acculturation imposed on them. In Citizen’s Garb is curated by John Hernandez, director of the Museum of the Great Plains in Lawton, Oklahoma, and toured under the auspices of ExhibitsUSA. Following its showing in Belton, Texas, the exhibition will travel nationally to more than two dozen venues.

The purpose of ExhibitsUSA is to create access to an array of arts and humanities exhibitions, nurture the development and understanding of diverse art forms and cultures, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities. ExhibitsUSA is a national division of Mid-America Arts Alliance, a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1972.

In Citizen's Garb: Southern Plains Native Americans, 1888–1891
Touring September 2004 through August 2010

Sept. 1, 2004–Nov. 30, 2004
Bell County Museum
Belton, Texas

Dec. 15, 2004–Jan. 19, 2005
Clark County Historical Association
Arkadelphia, Arkansas

Feb. 3, 2005–Apr. 30, 2005
Red Earth, Inc.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

July 5, 2005–Aug. 16, 2005
Ponca City Artsplace
Ponca City, Oklahoma

Sept. 1, 2005–Oct. 5, 2005
Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History
Bryan, Texas

Oct. 21, 2005–Nov. 30, 2005
Tulsa Community College SE Campus
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Feb. 3, 2006–Mar. 10, 2006
Coffeyville Cultural Arts Council
Coffeyville, Kansas

May 15, 2006–Aug. 16, 2006
Santa Fe Trail Center
Larned, Kansas

Feb. 3, 2008–Mar. 10, 2008
Museum of the Southwest
Midland, Texas