|
Geronimo
in 1887, photo by Ben Wittck.
This image available for
photographic prints and downloads
HERE!
After decades of pursuing
Geronimo
and his fierce band of
Chiricahua
Apache, the U.S. Army finally captured him in 1886. He was first
sent to Florida where he was imprisoned and sentenced to hard labor.
Years later, he was released to a reservation in
Fort Sill,
Oklahoma.
Once the
Indians had all been "tamed" and
Americans no longer saw them as a threat, a fascination with the
Old West and
Native
Americans began in earnest. Wild West Shows such as
Buffalo Bill
Cody's and Pawnee Bill's at the turn of the century drew
hundreds of spectators as the productions staged re-creations of
historic battles, "Indian Races," live
buffalo, and the biggest
attraction of all - famous
Indians. Some of these included
Sitting Bull,
Chief Joseph,
Geronimo,
and Rains in the Face (reported to be the man who killed Custer).
The
Indians joined the shows for the
opportunities to travel not only the United States, but also in
Europe.
Geronimo
also participated in a number of other "attractions" that displayed
him to curious onlookers, including the Omaha and Buffalo expositions
and the
St. Louis World's Fair in 1904.
These many events, coupled with
Geronimo's
fierce reputation made him one of the most photographed
Native
Americans of the time.
|
Please report
broken links, missing pictures, or other problems online by clicking
