Kee-O-Tuck-Kee; A Pottawattomie Chief

LEWIS, James Otto

Published by J. O. Lewis, Philadelphia

About this Item

Hand colored lithograph. Sheet measures 15 3/4" x 10 5/8". Kee-O-Tuck-Kee, was a prominent Potawatomi chief, was published circa 1835 in James Otto Lewis' "The Aboriginal Portfolio", the first published collection of native North American portraits. Based on a painting made by Lewis at the Treaty of Green Bay in 1827 at the invitation of Governor Lewis Cass. This print is in good condition. Some wear to margins not affecting the image. Original margins have been cropped. James Otto Lewis (1799-1858) was an engraver and portrait painter who was commissioned by Governor Lewis Cass to paint portraits of Native American leaders. He accompanied Cass on several treaty expeditions between 1825 and 1827. Later, with the help of lithographers George Lehman and Peter Duval, Lewis published his prints into "The Aboriginal Portfolio", the first collection of native North American portraits published in ten monthly parts beginning in May 1935. His work also appeared in Thomas McKinney's "History of the Indian Tribes of North America", with 27 of the 150 prints based on his paintings. McKenney's portfolio, however, was published several years after "The Aboriginal Portfolio", and may be the reason for Lewis' unconventional but expedited publication in monthly parts. His original paintings were all destroyed in the 1865 fire at the Smithsonian, leaving this incredibly rare publication as the earliest surviving record of his work.

Seller Inventory # 297843

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Kee-O-Tuck-Kee; A Pottawattomie Chief
• Publisher: J. O. Lewis, Philadelphia
• Illustrator: J. O. Lewis
• Seller catalogs:
  • AMERICANA
  • 19TH CENTURY
  • AMERICAN INDIAN
  • NATIVE AMERICAN