Paul J. Warner photograph collection

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sova.nmai.ac.185

Place: Oklahoma; Missouri; Oregon; Arizona; California; Iowa; Montana; New Mexico; Washington; Canada

Provenance: Purchased by MAI with help from the Viking Fund from Paul Warner, 1948.

Culture: Osage; Cocopa; Diné (Navajo); Umatilla; Hopi Pueblo; Minnesota Chippewa; White Mountain Apache; Yokayo Pomo; Karuk (Karok); Hupa; Sac and Fox (Sauk & Fox); Chaticks Si Chaticks (Pawnee); Assiniboine (Stoney); Wichita; Inunaina (Arapaho); Niimíipuu (Nez Perce); Kootenai (Kutenai); Cree; Ute; Quechan (Yuma/Cuchan); Salish (Flathead); Kickapoo; Hualapai (Walapai); Akimel O'odham (Pima); Niuam (Comanche); K'apovi (Santa Clara Pueblo); A:shiwi (Zuni); Taos Pueblo; Isleta Pueblo; Kewa (Santo Domingo Pueblo); Acoma Pueblo; Plains Apache (Naisha/Kiowa Apache); Pomo; Pikuni Blackfeet (Piegan); Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux); Oglala Lakota (Oglala Sioux); Spokan

Summary: This collection includes 391 photographic prints and 33 copy negatives made from 1890 to 1944 among Native communities in the United States.

Biographical / Historical: Paul J Warner (1881-1950) was born in New York City and moved to Chicago as a young boy. At the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, Warner was fascinated with the Indian village exhibits, which began his lifelong interest in Native Americans. He traveled throughout the United States visiting Indian reservations and building relationships during his long stays. Warner began working for the Field Museum in 1937, eventually being promoted to anthropology preparator and continued there until his death.

Type: Collection descriptions; Archival materials; Photographic prints; Copy negatives; Black-and-white photographs

Citation: Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Paul J. Warner photograph collection, image #, NMAI.AC.185; National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.

Processing Information: This collection is currently unprocessed. Collection record written by Mattie Lewis, Archives Technician in 2025.

Rights: Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center. Please submit a written request to nmaiphotos@si.edu. For personal or classroom use, users are invited to download, print, photocopy, and distribute the images that are available online without prior written permission, provided that the files are not modified in any way, the Smithsonian Institution copyright notice (where applicable) is included, and the source of the image is identified as the National Museum of the American Indian. For more information please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use and NMAI Archive Center's Digital Image request website.

Scope and Contents: This collection is currently unprocessed. Images depict studio portraits, shrines, ceremonies, dances, dwellings, and daily life. Some photographs are restricted due to cultural sensitivity. Most of the photographs were taken by Charles H. Carpenter, particularly from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Other identified photographers include Burnette H. Love, Sumner W. Matteson Jr., A.W. Ericson, Grace Nicholson, Johnson Studios, and Cobb Photo. Image numbers P17295-P17679. Negative numbers N37909-N37940.

Restrictions: Access to NMAI Archives Center collections is by appointment only, Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm. Please contact the archives to make an appointment (phone: 301-238-1400, email: nmaiarchives@si.edu).

NMAI.AC.185

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sv482a05a5a-f2e7-4d3f-9bc4-64a0d85068dd

NMAI.AC.185

NMAIA