American Indian Chief, AH -SHUN -GAH, Circa 1909, Photo by Recognized Photographer, George Cornish
$120.00
The subject of this photo, Chief Wah-Shun-Gah is estimated to have been born in 1837 and he died in 1908. Born in the Kaw River Valley, in the Kansa villages, his name is said to have meant “cut face,” for an injury he had received.
In 1883 the Kaws formed a tribal government similar to the Osage. This government allowed the Kaws to take advantage of leasing gazing on their land. In 1885 WAH-SHUN-GAH elected principal chief. He was the last full-blooded Kaw chief.
The Kaw lands were 10 miles from the Santa Fe railway line. In 1893 the Cherokee Strip was opened for white settlement. The trains brought people seeking to settle on the land, and as a result, demand for the land in the area increased. Congress passed the Dawes Act that authorized allotment of Indian land to members of the tries. In 1902 he was one of 7 Chiefs who traveled to Washington to try to secure the claim of their respective tribes to this now coveted land. U.S. Congressman Charles Curtis, a member of the Kaw Nation from Kansas, encouraged an agreement which dissolved the tribal government and reservation and divided the land among members.
By 1908, most of the land had been taken over by land hungry settlers forcing the tribes back into poverty. WAH-SHUN-GAH passed from history in 1908, it is believed he froze to death.
This Photo was copyrighted in 1909 by the recognized photographer, George B. Cornish. He must have actually taken the photo before that date as this Kaw Chief died in 1908. Cornish's had become so popular that he copyrighted them to prevent his images from being mass produced. Images such as this specific photo can be seen in the Special Collections of the Degolyer Library at SMU, Kansas City Library, and the Cherokee Strip land Rush Museum.
George Barcroft Cornish began his career as an assistant to W. S. Prettyman. His career took off with a famous image he captured of the first chaotic seconds of the “Run”, an Oklahoma Land Rush in 1893. This Land Rush began at noon on September 16, 1893, with an estimated 100,000 participants hoping to stake claim to part of the 6 million acres and 40,000 homesteads that had formerly been Cherokee grazing land. It would be Oklahoma's fourth and largest land rush. He started his own studio in Arkansas City (a boom town on the border of Indian Territory) where he focused on photographing cowboys and Indians. His images were sold at Cornish Studio in Arkansas City and the gift shop at the 101 Ranch and Wild West Show. This piece is one of those images. It is labeled on the lower left "copyright 1909 by Geo. B. Cornish Arkansas City Kansas". On the lower right "WAH -SHUN-GAH, KAW CHIEF.
The photo is 8 inches long and approx. 6 inches wide. It comes inside of a protective plastic jacket.
As always, thank you for stopping by the shop and for your interest in this piece. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have.
In 1883 the Kaws formed a tribal government similar to the Osage. This government allowed the Kaws to take advantage of leasing gazing on their land. In 1885 WAH-SHUN-GAH elected principal chief. He was the last full-blooded Kaw chief.
The Kaw lands were 10 miles from the Santa Fe railway line. In 1893 the Cherokee Strip was opened for white settlement. The trains brought people seeking to settle on the land, and as a result, demand for the land in the area increased. Congress passed the Dawes Act that authorized allotment of Indian land to members of the tries. In 1902 he was one of 7 Chiefs who traveled to Washington to try to secure the claim of their respective tribes to this now coveted land. U.S. Congressman Charles Curtis, a member of the Kaw Nation from Kansas, encouraged an agreement which dissolved the tribal government and reservation and divided the land among members.
By 1908, most of the land had been taken over by land hungry settlers forcing the tribes back into poverty. WAH-SHUN-GAH passed from history in 1908, it is believed he froze to death.
This Photo was copyrighted in 1909 by the recognized photographer, George B. Cornish. He must have actually taken the photo before that date as this Kaw Chief died in 1908. Cornish's had become so popular that he copyrighted them to prevent his images from being mass produced. Images such as this specific photo can be seen in the Special Collections of the Degolyer Library at SMU, Kansas City Library, and the Cherokee Strip land Rush Museum.
George Barcroft Cornish began his career as an assistant to W. S. Prettyman. His career took off with a famous image he captured of the first chaotic seconds of the “Run”, an Oklahoma Land Rush in 1893. This Land Rush began at noon on September 16, 1893, with an estimated 100,000 participants hoping to stake claim to part of the 6 million acres and 40,000 homesteads that had formerly been Cherokee grazing land. It would be Oklahoma's fourth and largest land rush. He started his own studio in Arkansas City (a boom town on the border of Indian Territory) where he focused on photographing cowboys and Indians. His images were sold at Cornish Studio in Arkansas City and the gift shop at the 101 Ranch and Wild West Show. This piece is one of those images. It is labeled on the lower left "copyright 1909 by Geo. B. Cornish Arkansas City Kansas". On the lower right "WAH -SHUN-GAH, KAW CHIEF.
The photo is 8 inches long and approx. 6 inches wide. It comes inside of a protective plastic jacket.
As always, thank you for stopping by the shop and for your interest in this piece. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have.
The subject of this photo, Chief Wah-Shun-Gah is estimated to have been born in 1837 and he died in 1908. Born in the Kaw River Valley, in the Kansa villages, his name is said to have meant “cut face,” for an injury he had received.
In 1883 the Kaws formed a tribal government similar to the Osage. This government allowed the Kaws to take advantage of leasing gazing on their land. In 1885 WAH-SHUN-GAH elected principal chief. He was the last full-blooded Kaw chief.
The Kaw lands were 10 miles from the Santa Fe railway line. In 1893 the Cherokee Strip was opened for white settlement. The trains brought people seeking to settle on the land, and as a result, demand for the land in the area increased. Congress passed the Dawes Act that authorized allotment of Indian land to members of the tries. In 1902 he was one of 7 Chiefs who traveled to Washington to try to secure the claim of their respective tribes to this now coveted land. U.S. Congressman Charles Curtis, a member of the Kaw Nation from Kansas, encouraged an agreement which dissolved the tribal government and reservation and divided the land among members.
By 1908, most of the land had been taken over by land hungry settlers forcing the tribes back into poverty. WAH-SHUN-GAH passed from history in 1908, it is believed he froze to death.
This Photo was copyrighted in 1909 by the recognized photographer, George B. Cornish. He must have actually taken the photo before that date as this Kaw Chief died in 1908. Cornish's had become so popular that he copyrighted them to prevent his images from being mass produced. Images such as this specific photo can be seen in the Special Collections of the Degolyer Library at SMU, Kansas City Library, and the Cherokee Strip land Rush Museum.
George Barcroft Cornish began his career as an assistant to W. S. Prettyman. His career took off with a famous image he captured of the first chaotic seconds of the “Run”, an Oklahoma Land Rush in 1893. This Land Rush began at noon on September 16, 1893, with an estimated 100,000 participants hoping to stake claim to part of the 6 million acres and 40,000 homesteads that had formerly been Cherokee grazing land. It would be Oklahoma's fourth and largest land rush. He started his own studio in Arkansas City (a boom town on the border of Indian Territory) where he focused on photographing cowboys and Indians. His images were sold at Cornish Studio in Arkansas City and the gift shop at the 101 Ranch and Wild West Show. This piece is one of those images. It is labeled on the lower left "copyright 1909 by Geo. B. Cornish Arkansas City Kansas". On the lower right "WAH -SHUN-GAH, KAW CHIEF.
The photo is 8 inches long and approx. 6 inches wide. It comes inside of a protective plastic jacket.
As always, thank you for stopping by the shop and for your interest in this piece. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have.
In 1883 the Kaws formed a tribal government similar to the Osage. This government allowed the Kaws to take advantage of leasing gazing on their land. In 1885 WAH-SHUN-GAH elected principal chief. He was the last full-blooded Kaw chief.
The Kaw lands were 10 miles from the Santa Fe railway line. In 1893 the Cherokee Strip was opened for white settlement. The trains brought people seeking to settle on the land, and as a result, demand for the land in the area increased. Congress passed the Dawes Act that authorized allotment of Indian land to members of the tries. In 1902 he was one of 7 Chiefs who traveled to Washington to try to secure the claim of their respective tribes to this now coveted land. U.S. Congressman Charles Curtis, a member of the Kaw Nation from Kansas, encouraged an agreement which dissolved the tribal government and reservation and divided the land among members.
By 1908, most of the land had been taken over by land hungry settlers forcing the tribes back into poverty. WAH-SHUN-GAH passed from history in 1908, it is believed he froze to death.
This Photo was copyrighted in 1909 by the recognized photographer, George B. Cornish. He must have actually taken the photo before that date as this Kaw Chief died in 1908. Cornish's had become so popular that he copyrighted them to prevent his images from being mass produced. Images such as this specific photo can be seen in the Special Collections of the Degolyer Library at SMU, Kansas City Library, and the Cherokee Strip land Rush Museum.
George Barcroft Cornish began his career as an assistant to W. S. Prettyman. His career took off with a famous image he captured of the first chaotic seconds of the “Run”, an Oklahoma Land Rush in 1893. This Land Rush began at noon on September 16, 1893, with an estimated 100,000 participants hoping to stake claim to part of the 6 million acres and 40,000 homesteads that had formerly been Cherokee grazing land. It would be Oklahoma's fourth and largest land rush. He started his own studio in Arkansas City (a boom town on the border of Indian Territory) where he focused on photographing cowboys and Indians. His images were sold at Cornish Studio in Arkansas City and the gift shop at the 101 Ranch and Wild West Show. This piece is one of those images. It is labeled on the lower left "copyright 1909 by Geo. B. Cornish Arkansas City Kansas". On the lower right "WAH -SHUN-GAH, KAW CHIEF.
The photo is 8 inches long and approx. 6 inches wide. It comes inside of a protective plastic jacket.
As always, thank you for stopping by the shop and for your interest in this piece. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have.
The subject of this photo, Chief Wah-Shun-Gah is estimated to have been born in 1837 and he died in 1908. Born in the Kaw River Valley, in the Kansa villages, his name is said to have meant “cut face,” for an injury he had received.
In 1883 the Kaws formed a tribal government similar to the Osage. This government allowed the Kaws to take advantage of leasing gazing on their land. In 1885 WAH-SHUN-GAH elected principal chief. He was the last full-blooded Kaw chief.
The Kaw lands were 10 miles from the Santa Fe railway line. In 1893 the Cherokee Strip was opened for white settlement. The trains brought people seeking to settle on the land, and as a result, demand for the land in the area increased. Congress passed the Dawes Act that authorized allotment of Indian land to members of the tries. In 1902 he was one of 7 Chiefs who traveled to Washington to try to secure the claim of their respective tribes to this now coveted land. U.S. Congressman Charles Curtis, a member of the Kaw Nation from Kansas, encouraged an agreement which dissolved the tribal government and reservation and divided the land among members.
By 1908, most of the land had been taken over by land hungry settlers forcing the tribes back into poverty. WAH-SHUN-GAH passed from history in 1908, it is believed he froze to death.
This Photo was copyrighted in 1909 by the recognized photographer, George B. Cornish. He must have actually taken the photo before that date as this Kaw Chief died in 1908. Cornish's had become so popular that he copyrighted them to prevent his images from being mass produced. Images such as this specific photo can be seen in the Special Collections of the Degolyer Library at SMU, Kansas City Library, and the Cherokee Strip land Rush Museum.
George Barcroft Cornish began his career as an assistant to W. S. Prettyman. His career took off with a famous image he captured of the first chaotic seconds of the “Run”, an Oklahoma Land Rush in 1893. This Land Rush began at noon on September 16, 1893, with an estimated 100,000 participants hoping to stake claim to part of the 6 million acres and 40,000 homesteads that had formerly been Cherokee grazing land. It would be Oklahoma's fourth and largest land rush. He started his own studio in Arkansas City (a boom town on the border of Indian Territory) where he focused on photographing cowboys and Indians. His images were sold at Cornish Studio in Arkansas City and the gift shop at the 101 Ranch and Wild West Show. This piece is one of those images. It is labeled on the lower left "copyright 1909 by Geo. B. Cornish Arkansas City Kansas". On the lower right "WAH -SHUN-GAH, KAW CHIEF.
The photo is 8 inches long and approx. 6 inches wide. It comes inside of a protective plastic jacket.
As always, thank you for stopping by the shop and for your interest in this piece. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have.
In 1883 the Kaws formed a tribal government similar to the Osage. This government allowed the Kaws to take advantage of leasing gazing on their land. In 1885 WAH-SHUN-GAH elected principal chief. He was the last full-blooded Kaw chief.
The Kaw lands were 10 miles from the Santa Fe railway line. In 1893 the Cherokee Strip was opened for white settlement. The trains brought people seeking to settle on the land, and as a result, demand for the land in the area increased. Congress passed the Dawes Act that authorized allotment of Indian land to members of the tries. In 1902 he was one of 7 Chiefs who traveled to Washington to try to secure the claim of their respective tribes to this now coveted land. U.S. Congressman Charles Curtis, a member of the Kaw Nation from Kansas, encouraged an agreement which dissolved the tribal government and reservation and divided the land among members.
By 1908, most of the land had been taken over by land hungry settlers forcing the tribes back into poverty. WAH-SHUN-GAH passed from history in 1908, it is believed he froze to death.
This Photo was copyrighted in 1909 by the recognized photographer, George B. Cornish. He must have actually taken the photo before that date as this Kaw Chief died in 1908. Cornish's had become so popular that he copyrighted them to prevent his images from being mass produced. Images such as this specific photo can be seen in the Special Collections of the Degolyer Library at SMU, Kansas City Library, and the Cherokee Strip land Rush Museum.
George Barcroft Cornish began his career as an assistant to W. S. Prettyman. His career took off with a famous image he captured of the first chaotic seconds of the “Run”, an Oklahoma Land Rush in 1893. This Land Rush began at noon on September 16, 1893, with an estimated 100,000 participants hoping to stake claim to part of the 6 million acres and 40,000 homesteads that had formerly been Cherokee grazing land. It would be Oklahoma's fourth and largest land rush. He started his own studio in Arkansas City (a boom town on the border of Indian Territory) where he focused on photographing cowboys and Indians. His images were sold at Cornish Studio in Arkansas City and the gift shop at the 101 Ranch and Wild West Show. This piece is one of those images. It is labeled on the lower left "copyright 1909 by Geo. B. Cornish Arkansas City Kansas". On the lower right "WAH -SHUN-GAH, KAW CHIEF.
The photo is 8 inches long and approx. 6 inches wide. It comes inside of a protective plastic jacket.
As always, thank you for stopping by the shop and for your interest in this piece. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have.