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Primary sourcePhotograph1885

Sitting Bull Cabinet Card by D. F. Barry

David Francis Barry · 1885

An 1885 studio photograph of Sitting Bull taken during his lifetime by photographer D. F. Barry.

A lifetime studio portrait of Sitting Bull, showing how he was photographed and marketed by commercial photographers.

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Sepia albumen cabinet card portrait of Sitting Bull, seated, wearing a feathered headdress, braided hair, a light fringed shirt and necklaces, holding a pipe stem. Printed caption reads 'SITTING BULL' and 'Copyrighted by D. F. Barry, 1885, Bismarck, Dakota'.
D. F. Barry, Sitting Bull cabinet card, 1885. Albumen print.

About this source

What it is

This is an albumen cabinet card photograph of Sitting Bull, made in 1885 by photographer David Francis Barry. It shows him seated, waist-length, wearing a feathered headdress, braided hair, a fringed shirt and necklaces, holding a pipe stem. The card is printed with the caption 'SITTING BULL' and a copyright line naming Barry and Bismarck, Dakota.

Why it matters

Barry photographed many Lakota leaders during this period, and his portraits are among the most widely reproduced images of Sitting Bull. This photograph was taken while Sitting Bull was alive, making it a direct visual record rather than a later reconstruction.

Look closer

  • What does Sitting Bull's pose and dress tell you about how he wanted to be seen?
  • Why might a commercial photographer have wanted to photograph and copyright images of Lakota leaders?
  • What is missing from a studio portrait like this compared to a photo taken in daily life?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sitting Bull (Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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29 April 1868

Colored reproduction card labeled 'Chief Sitting Bull Sioux' showing a man in profile with long braids, two feathers in his hair, a red neckerchief, and a beaded vest with geometric and floral designs.Photograph

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Sitting Bull Portrait by William Notman

William Notman · 1885

Sepia-toned studio portrait of a man with a long braided hair, wearing a light patterned shirt and a feather headdress, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression against a plain backdrop.Photograph

Primary source

Chief Sitting Bull

David F. Barry · 1884

Black and white studio photograph of two men standing in front of a painted forest backdrop. On the left, a older man in a long feathered war bonnet and fringed, beaded buckskin clothing holds a rifle. On the right, a man in a wide-brimmed hat, embroidered jacket, and tall boots rests a hand on his chest.Photograph

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Sitting Bull and Buffalo Bill

Wm. Notman & Son · 1885

Scanned page of the 1887 Act titled 'An Act to provide for the allotment of lands in severalty to Indians on the various reservations', headed 'Forty-Ninth Congress of the United States of America; At the Second Session', with handwritten marks and a 'Public No. 105' stamp.Document

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Dawes Act

Henry Dawes · 8 February 1887

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