FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE

Franz Boas illustrated the 1897 book with 51 half-tone photographs, most of them drawn from glass plate negatives made at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893) and during Winter Ceremonials in Fort Rupert, British Columbia (1894). In some cases, Boas dramatically altered the original images by erasing the fairground context or by having a German artist named Wilhelm Kuhnert repaint the Fort Rupert scenes. Such changes made the images more suitable as ethnographic illustrations for his text. Often, the single images published were drawn from a long series of negatives made at the two sites to document specific events.

This digital gallery presents both “Before and After” images and “Alternate Views” of two such events: dance demonstrations at the Chicago fair, and episodes in the initiation of Hamat’sa (Cannibal) dancers in Fort Rupert.

Tap an image below to explore the archive.