Half length studio silver gelatin portrait of Geronimo. Half length studio portrait of Naiche. Outdoor group photo of the Anadarko Ladies Band, in front of the P.A. Wade Photo Studio. Each Lawton, Oklahoma: P.A. Wade, [1902]. Prints measure 5.5 x 4 in., mounts measure 9 x 7 in. Silver gelatin print on cardstock mount. Photographer's imprint stamped to mount versos.

A significant grouping of three images, featuring an unpublished photograph of Geronimo. The lot includes:

1. A distinguished, pristine portrait of Apache religious and military leader, Geronimo (ca 1829-1909), likely taken c. 1902. A true character study, this portrait shows Geronimo wearing a simple western-style hat and jacket, while staring directly at the photographer's lens. Verso bears the photographer P.A. Wade's imprint and studio location of Lawton, Oklahoma (Geronimo's last home). A significant, recent discovery, no other copies of this unpublished Geronimo portrait are known.

2. Rare portrait of Chief Naiche (ca 1857-1919), the last hereditary chief of the Chiricahua band of Apache who joined Geronimo's band in 1880. This portrait of Naiche shows the chief wearing an Indian Scouts uniform with "USS" insignia, two collar pins, and a medal pinned to his breast. A crayon enhanced version of the portrait of Naiche is published in Norman Wood's "Lives of Famous Indian Chiefs" (1906) noted as "courtesy of Naiche."

During the final phase of Geronimo's conflict with the United States, the Apache surrendered and escaped several times before a final surrender to General Nelson Miles in 1886. While imprisoned at Fort Marion, Florida, their request to return to Arizona was denied, and they accepted an offer from the Kiowa and Comanche tribes to relocate to southwest Oklahoma. Thus, in October 1894, they moved to Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. Geronimo lived here until his death in 1909, and is buried at Fort Sill, though he began to travel widely to various expositions and with Pawnee Bill's Wild West shows. Naiche would remain in Fort Sill until 1913, before relocating a final time to Mescalero Reservation near Ruidoso, New Mexico.

3. A charming outdoor photograph of the "Anadarko Ladies' Cornet Band," a group founded in Oklahoma in August 1902 (Gavin Holman. Women and Brass: The Female Brass Bands of the 19th and 20th centuries.) They are mentioned positively in local papers, auctioning off songs they would play to fundraise for charity: "Turn out and hear them and be convinced that the Ladies Band will be a complete success. " (Anadarko Daily Democrat, 22 October 1902).

The real highlight of this image, however, is P.A. Wade's photographer's studio clearly visible in the background. Photos of western photographer's studios from the period are scarce.

The photographer of this grouping, P.A. Wade, epitomized the Wild West. He operated in Oklahoma as early as 1902, and advertised extensively in Oklahoma newspapers as late as 1908, noting that "Donkey groups [were] a specialty" (The Daily Ardmoreite, 1 September 1907). Wade gained notoriety when he and his assistant got into a bloody fight that started over the quality of photographic prints. The incident, which occured the same year the images offered here were likely taken, is recounted in the Stillwater Gazette article entitled "They Chop and Slash:" "According to the best information obtainable Morgan was making some prints and Wade came in and objected taking the paper away. When Morgan asked him to let him finish the job, Wade pulled out a knife and cut him in the stomach, a rib only preventing a serious wound. Morgan seized a hatchet and struck Wade over the left ear and on the arm inflicting wounds that were not serious. As he started to run away Wade slashed at him again and cut Morgan's hand, after which he made another attempt to cut him. Then Morgan called a doctor and gave himself up" (10 June 1902). Wade clearly held his craft to a high standard!

An important collection of images from the Oklahoma photographer.

The date of the band's drum also gives us a date for the Geronimo and Naiche portraits.

Condition: Naiche image with some spotting, crease to mount an image, loss to upper mount corner.