Rolf Tietgens photographs

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sova.nmai.ac.336

Place: New Mexico; Arizona; South Dakota; Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (S.D.)

Provenance: Bequest of Rolf Tietgens, 1985 [P23675-P23709] and gift of Keith De Lellis, 1987 [P23663-P23674].

Culture: Oglala Lakota (Oglala Sioux); Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux); Laguna Pueblo; K'apovi (Santa Clara Pueblo); Diné (Navajo); Tesuque Pueblo; Hopi Pueblo; Taos Pueblo; Apache

Summary: This collection includes 47 photographic prints made by German born photographer Rolf Tietgens in 1933-1934 and 1940-1944 on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and in various locations across Arizona and New Mexico. Communities photographed in South Dakota include the Oglala Lakota (Oglala Sioux) and Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux). Communities photographed in Arizona and New Mexico include—Laguna Pueblo, K'apovi (Santa Clara Pueblo), Diné (Navajo), Tesuque Pueblo, Hopi Pueblo, Taos Pueblo and Apache.

Biographical / Historical: Rolf Tietgens was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1911. In 1933 Tietgens first visited the United States, where he made a series of photographs of Native Americans, published in Germany as a book, Die Regentrommel (The Rain Drum), in 1936. As a filmmaking student in Berlin, Tietgens worked for Leni Riefenstahl as a cameraman on Olympia (1936). He then moved to New York, where he opened his own photography studio (1938). His work was featured in "Photographing New York City," an exhibition of Photo League photographers at the New School for Social Research in 1939. Despite his successful career as a photographer for numerous American magazines, Tietgens was interred as an enemy alien in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1942–43, during World War II. Naturalized in 1944, he continued to work as a commercial photographer through the fifties until 1964 when he began a second career as a painter, a pursuit that he followed until his death in 1984.

Citation: Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Rolf Tietgens photographs, image #, NMAI.AC.336; National Museum of the American Indian Archives Center, Smithsonian Institution.

Processing Information: Collection record written by Rachel Menyuk, Processing Archivist, 2021.

Rights: NMAI does not own the copyright to these photographs. Permission to publish will need to be acquired from the Estate.

Scope and Contents: This collection includes 47 photographic prints made by German born photographer Rolf Tietgens on a brief trip to the United States in 1933-1934 and in 1940-1944 after moving permanently to New York. Some of the photographs that were made on his 1933-1934 trip were later published in a 1936 book called Die Regentrommel (The Rain Drum). The photographs include outdoor portraits and landscape views on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and in various locations across Arizona and New Mexico These were shot among the Oglala Lakota (Oglala Sioux) and Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux) communities in South Dakota and among the Laguna Pueblo, K'apovi (Santa Clara Pueblo), Diné (Navajo), Tesuque Pueblo, Hopi Pueblo, Taos Pueblo and Apache in Arizona and New Mexico. One of the more famous portraits includes an image of Chief Blackhorn (Tahe Sapa/Hah-Sah-Pah/Black Horn) [Sicangu Lakota (Brulé Sioux)], likely shot in 1941. Many of the portraits remain unidentified. Many the photographs depict ceremonial dances and have been restricted due to cultural sensitivity. There are also several duplicate images within the collection. Catalog numbers include P23663-P23709.

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). Some photographs restricted due to cultural sensitivity.

NMAI.AC.336

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sv47e6bd179-dc44-445b-93b9-b140165e5d85

NMAI.AC.336

NMAIA