Kathryn Musica Virtual Poster

NMNH or Bust — Museum Sculptures of Native Americans

Kathryn Musica
Research Training Program, 2004

Introduction

This project addresses the origin and subjects of the Native American busts stored in the Anthropology Department at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History and at the Museum Support Center. The busts are plaster casts that display the facial features, hair, and shoulders of individuals, and are sometimes painted to look like bronze. Facial molds, head measurements, and photographs were taken of numerous living Native Americans from the 1870s to 1930s. Sculptors then created busts based on the facial molds, measurements, and photographs of the individuals.

Archival research was conducted for the Cheyenne, Blackfoot, Crow, and Osage Tribe busts to determine who made the original facial molds, who made the subsequent busts, who the subjects are, and why the original molds and busts were made in order to uncover the historical context of these busts. It was discovered that not all specimens referred to as “busts” are indeed busts. Full busts, finished facial masks, and unfinished positives were all at one time called busts. At current count, about 100 Native American busts exist. This project focused on the casts of 46 individuals.

Information Sources

Original accession data, catalogue cards, ledgers, and personal correspondence were examined.

Smithsonian publications such as the Annual Report and the Proceedings of the US National Museum were also searched for any reports on the field collection or museum manufacturing of the facemasks and busts.

The busts, positives, and molds themselves were examined for any markings or details, such as the individual’s name and tribe, which were included with them in storage.
Photos taken of the individuals at the time that the molds were made were used to link the busts, molds, casts, names, and pictures together for a complete integrated record of the individual.

Process of Making Busts

Step One: Mold from Face

Step Two: Positive from Mold

Step Three: Sculpt the Face

Step Four: Mold the Bust Head and Base

Step Five: Finished Bust

Crow

The bust is of Crow individual "A-rah-dzee-ha-ush," or Plenty Coup, the only Crow bust in the Museum collection, made in by H. W. Hendley at the Museum in 1909. A photograph taken in 1905 of Plenty Coup can be found at the National Anthropological Archives.

Osage

This Osage individual is “Wa-xthi-zhi,” or Charley Wachrigi, also known at the Museum as “Generous Charlie.” The photograph of him is one of several, taken between 1911 and 1913 here at the Museum.

The bust was made in 1914 by Frank Micka, who also made the field mold of Charley’s face in 1912 at Pawhuska Agency, Oklahoma, as part of the preparations for the Panama-California Exposition in San Diego, California, in 1915. Micka was hired for preparation of the “Science of Man” exhibit at the Exposition by fellow Czech Dr. Aleš Hrdlicka, then Head of the Division of Physical Anthropology at the Museum. The busts were made to showcase the different ethnicities in North America.

This bust is one of over 75 Native American busts made for the Exposition, eight of which are Osage.

Two additional Osage busts exist in the collection, both made in the Museum by H. W. Hendley in 1907, of Osage visitors to the Washington, D.C. area.

Cheyenne

This Cheyenne individual is “Hotogch,” or Star. His bust, made in 1905, is one of only two Cheyenne finished busts in the Museum collection, both made by H. W. Hendley.

Twenty-two other Cheyenne, all prisoners at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida, had their faces molded by Clark Mills in 1877, but the most complete product that exists is unfinished positives. The Museum also has a collection of ledger art drawn by these Cheyenne individuals.

Blackfoot

This Blackfoot individual is “Ne-nes-taku,” or Mountain Chief. His bust was made in 1914 by Micka as part of the Panama-California Exposition work. Only one other Blackfoot bust exists, made in 1915 by sculptor U. S. J. Dunbar.

Eight additional Blackfoot individuals, all visitors to Washington, D. C. in 1923, had their faces molded at the Museum. Bronze painted finished facial masks were the furthest step developed of these individuals.

Importance

One goal of this project was to make these busts accessible to the descendants of these individuals.

Evelyn Taylor and Virginia Maker, both granddaughters of Osage individual Albert Penn, traveled to Washington, D. C. in early June to visit the bust of their ancestor. Albert Penn’s bust was made in 1914 by Micka for the Panama-California Exposition.

Evelyn and Virginia, as well as Evelyn’s daughter Andrea and husband Larry, were excited and proud to see the bust of Albert Penn. They were pleased to be able to see and learn more about Albert Penn during their visit to Washington, and to be able to pass on their Osage heritage and tradition. A duplicate bust of Albert Penn is being planned to be housed in the Osage Tribal Museum in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

Acknowledgments

This internship was made possible by funding from the Notre Dame — NMNH Internship Program in Anthropology. I would like to thank the University of Notre Dame, the Research Training Program at NMNH, my advisors Dr. William T. Billeck of the Repatriation Office and Dr. David R. Hunt of the Physical Anthropology Division, Janet Pasiuk for her excellent photography assistance, the Smithsonian Library Staff at NMNH, Susan McElrath at the National Anthropological Archives, and the Office of the Registrar at NMNH.

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The information presented here represents preliminary research as the result of ten-weeks of investigation in-residence at the National Museum of Natural History. This is not an official publication of the information.

As preliminary information, results and/or findings should not be cited as part of conclusive work. Please contact the authors first if you wish to utilize the information presented here.

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Research Training Program VIRTUAL POSTER SESSION 2004

Research Training Program
VIRTUAL POSTER SESSION
2004