Featured in this lot are Vintage A. B. Welch Collection Photographs of Hidatsa, Hunkpapa, and Gros Ventre peoples, circa 1880-1900's. Provenance: From the John Kleinschmidt collection which was on loan to the C.M. Russell Museum from 1987 to 1993 and included in the "The Cowboy West: 100 Years of Photography 1992-1993 exhibit. These photographs are attributed to Colonel Alfred Burton Welch who was well known for his extensive artifact collection and lifelong association with the Sioux nations. The Welch Dakota Papers include thousands of pages of oral interviews, writings, newspaper articles and photographs of the Sioux, Arikara, Hidatsa and Mandan peoples. Welch is credited as the first white man adopted into the Yanktonai Sioux, a separate band from the Yankton Sioux; both are considered Western Dakota people. Description of photographs includes: "... hair indicates him to be Hidatsa" "The shell ornaments on the neck of young man indicates these people to be Hidatsa or Mandan" "... man wear hair in custom of Gros Ventre (Hidatsa) man on left is 'Takes the Gun' younger man is 'Wolf Skin Mocassin'. They are Gros Ventre." "wife of Strong Heart - now died - died about 1918 - Hunkpapa" "wife of Strong Heart - Hunkpapa Dakotah" A "Strong Heart Hunkpapa warrior" refers to a highly respected Lakota warrior from the Hunkpapa tribe who has earned membership in the "Strong Hearts" society, an elite group recognized for exceptional bravery and combat skills in battle; the most famous example of a Strong Heart Hunkpapa warrior is Sitting Bull. Seven of the photographs depict reservation life of drying meat and animal hides, without descriptions. Beaded necklaces and earrings and trade blankets are prominent. The photographs are in very good preserved condition for being over 100 years old, the photographs each measure 4.5"W x 6.625"L approximately.