Leden van de groep van Pawnee Bill op de Wereldtentoonstelling van Antwerpen in 1894 1894

Charles Bernhoeft made this photograph of the Pawnee Bill group at the Antwerp World Fair in 1894. The image encapsulates the spectacle of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, which toured Europe at the time. These world fairs served as showcases of industrial progress, colonial power, and cultural exchange. Bernhoeft's photograph captures a constructed image of Native Americans, reinforcing exotic stereotypes for a European audience. This carefully staged presentation reflects the complicated relationship between the romanticized West and the realities of indigenous people's displacement and cultural disruption. The photograph’s existence is inextricably linked to the history of colonialism and the institutionalized exoticization of other cultures. Only through a historical analysis of photographs like this can we come to terms with the complex interweaving of representation, power, and cultural understanding. By researching exhibition archives, travel accounts, and ethnographic studies, we can develop a critical interpretation of the image’s deeper social implications.