Untitled (half-length portrait of Native American woman, labeled Chief Washington's daughter) 1866 - 1890

Editor: Here we have an untitled photograph by William Chamberlain, a portrait of a Native American woman, assumedly Chief Washington's daughter. It's striking how the material of her clothing seems to blend into the backdrop. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: It’s interesting to consider the photographic process itself here. This was taken in Denver, Colorado. What was the photographer's labor? How might the economic pressures of the time have influenced the portrayal, the very consumption, of Native American identity through photography? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered! I was so focused on the subject, not the means. Curator: Precisely. The photograph becomes an object, imbued with complex layers of production and cultural exchange. It is also sold and commodified.