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The Aboriginal Port Folio facts for kids

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The Aboriginal Port Folio
"Waukon Decorah"
Waukon Decorah lithograph from The Aboriginal Portfolio
Author James Otto Lewis
Publication date
1835-1836
VISIT ART + ARTISTS RESEARCH EDUCATION ABOUT DONATE Home Art + Artists TA-MA-KAKE-TOKE or the Woman that Spoke First; A Chippeway Woman (mourning), from The Aboriginal Portfolio SAAM-1973.167.56 1
'Chippeway Squaws'

The Aboriginal Portfolio is a special book from the early 1800s. It's filled with beautiful, hand-colored pictures of important Native American leaders. This book was one of the very first to show what Native American life was like through art.

About The Aboriginal Portfolio

This amazing book was published in Philadelphia between 1835 and 1836. The artist, James Otto Lewis, created all the pictures. He was asked by the government's Bureau of Indian Affairs to draw Native American chiefs.

How the Pictures Were Made

James Otto Lewis traveled to many important meetings between 1825 and 1828. These meetings were called treaty ceremonies. At these events, he drew pictures of the tribal chiefs who were there.

Most of his drawings came from these important treaty ceremonies:

Chippeway Women, from The Aboriginal Portfolio SAAM-1973.167.62 1
'Ta-Ma-Kake-Toke, or the Woman That Spoke First: A Chippeway Squaw'

Besides drawing chiefs, Lewis also sketched scenes from the treaty grounds. He drew pictures of a Chippewa pipe dance and a tomahawk dance. He even traveled to Fond du Lac in the summer of 1846 to make more drawings.

From Sketch to Book

The earliest painting used in the book is from 1823, and the latest is from 1833. Sadly, none of Lewis's original paintings still exist today. Most of his pictures were first sketched on location. He then finished them in Detroit between 1827 and 1833.

The pictures were turned into prints using a method called lithography. This was done by a company named Lehman and Duval in Philadelphia. After printing, each picture was colored by hand. Some of the portraits are signed by J. Barincou, who was likely the person who made the lithographs.

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