Summary
Overview
Bonaparte, Roland, prince, 1858-1924.
Collection Anthropologique du Prince Roland Bonaparte: American Indians
1.7 linear feet, 1 oversized flat box
Princeton University. Library. Dept. of Rare Books and Special Collections
Manuscripts Division
One Washington Road
Princeton, New Jersey 08544 USA
Abstract
Consists of twenty ethnographic albumen prints of North American Indians, commissioned by Prince Roland Bonaparte and photographed by
Alfred Ayotte, plus two additional photographs of Bonaparte.
Description
Description
The collection consists of twenty ethnographic albumen prints of North American Indians, commissioned by Prince Roland Bonaparte and
photographed by Alfred Ayotte, plus two additional photographs of Bonaparte. The twenty albumen prints are part of a rare portfolio of
thirty-five photographs titled Peaux Rouge: Collection Anthropologique du Prince Roland Bonaparte. They are
sitting studio portraits of ten Northern Plains American Indians, two portraits each, full-face and profile. Photographs measure about 22 x
16.8 cm. and are mounted on heavy cardboard, with the series statement written in black ink at the foot of each plate. They are numbered in
ink at the top left corner of the mount, each pair having the same number. All twenty plates bear Bonaparte's blind stamp with a crowned
eagle: "Collection du Prince Roland Bonaparte." The American Indians pictured are primarily from Omaha and the Northern Plains. Represented
in the collection are, in this order, John Pilcher, Homme Connu, Inside Man, Bright Eye (Susette La Flesche (1854-1903)), Hard Chief, Chef
Du Bande, Mnigh-Di-Tai (Plains woman), White Crow, Luune Dure, and Beautiful Hill and Village Maker (a Plains woman and an Omaha boy). There
are two additional photographs of Bonaparte which are not part of the Peaux Rouge collection. One is a standing
studio photograph with Bonaparte leaning on a chair, measuring 26.8 x 20.5 cm; the second is a group photograph on board an Italian ship,
measuring 23.2 x 18 cm. Both photographs bear the blind stamp of "Etienne Carjat & Cie., Photographe."
Princeton University holdings are plates numbered 1, 4-7, 9, 12-14, and 16.
Collection Creator
Biography
Prince Roland Bonaparte was a grand nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. He had no royal aspirations; instead he turned to study science, geography,
geology, botany, ethnology, and anthropology. He focused on the documentation of physical characteristics, in particular the shape and dimension
of the skull as a way to established relations between the human races. He perceived photography as a scientific tool for preserving data from
his expeditions, and used it to document the American Indians, Surinamese, Hottentots, and other ethnic groups. Bonaparte was president of the
"Société de géographie" (France) from 1910 till his death, and was also a member, then president, of the "Académie des sciences" (France).
Alfred Ayotte was a French (?) journalist, photographer, and traveler who was interested in the anthropological aspects of the natives of the
countries he visited.
Collection History
Acquisition
Purchased on March 28, 2007.
Custodial History
Ink stamp of the "Collection of J. Nisberg" on the verso of all photographs.
Processing Information
Folder inventory added by Nicholas Williams '2015 in 2012.
Access and Use
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Use Restrictions
Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when
Princeton University Library does not own the original. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the
Associate University Librarian for Rare Books and Special Collections. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in
the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.
Preferred Citation
Collection Anthropologique du Prince Roland Bonaparte: American Indians; circa 1883, Manuscripts Division, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, Princeton University Library.
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