Lewis, James Otto (American 1799-1858). Hand colored lithographs from the ethnographic "Portfolio" series, drawn from life by Lewis, printed by Lehman & Duval Lithographers. 11 7/8" X 17" (Plates). Heavy toning and edge burn from non-archival mats and spotting mainly in margins. Taped into mats. Some minor creases and a few pinholes. Unframed. Includes A Miami Chief, Me-No-Quet, Wadt-He-Doo-Kaana, and Gaw-Taa-Waa-Be-Ta.
James Otto Lewis, born in Detroit, Michigan on February 3, 1799, was trained as an engraver and portrait artist. The United States Indian Department commissioned Lewis to attend government-sponsored Indian councils and treaty ceremonies between 1825 and 1828. Lewis executed portraits and interviewed Indian chiefs who attended these meetings. During these years Lewis ventured to such locales as Prairie du Chien, Fon du Lac, Brette des Morts, and Fort Wayne. Publication of the Portfolio called for ten installments, each to contain eight hand-colored lithographs, at a price of two dollars per installment. An eleventh component, containing a descriptive text, was to be distributed free to subscribers. Lehman and Duval of Philadelphia were engaged to perform the lithography and hand-coloring work for the images. Lewis, and many of his contemporaries, suffered from problems with printers, subscribers, and creditors. This explains the fact that the majority of surviving copies, including The Bancroft Library's version, contain only seventy-two plates (nine installments). Copies with all eighty plates (ten installments) are quite rare. In fact, the tenth installment includes three plates that are not the work of Lewis, another indication of his problems with the publisher. The eleventh installment was most likely never published. The Portfolio never proved a financial success and the appearance of works by George Catlin and Thomas McKenney and James Hall further diluted the audience for Lewis' work. The original Lewis drawings became part of the Smithsonian Institution collection. The entire body of work was destroyed in an infamous 1865 fire. Lewis died in 1858. The author never received the acclaim he felt was his due, and the U.S. Congress had rejected his plea for additional compensation for his "arduous task." In retrospect, Lewis lived a remarkable life at an extraordinary time.
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