Pah-ge, a Ute Squaw, of the Kah-poh-teh band, Northern New Mexico, No. 39 from the series "Geographical Explorations and Surveys West of the 100th Meridian"
Medium
Albumen print, stereo
Dimensions
Each image: 9.3 × 7.5 cm (3 11/16 × 3 in.); Card: 10 × 17.7 cm (3 15/16 × 7 in.)
Classification
stereograph (albumen)
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
210795
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Captured in 1874 by pioneering photographer Timothy O'Sullivan,Pah-ge, a Ute Squaw, of the Kah-poh-teh, Northern New Mexico* is No. 39 from the landmark series documenting the U.S. Army's *Geographical Explorations and West of the 100 Meridian*. O'Sullivan, renowned for his stark, unflinching images of the American West, joined expeditions led by Lieutenant George Wheeler to map uncharted territories amid post-Civil War expansion. This intimate portrait of Pah-ge, a member of the Ute tribe's Kah-poh-teh band, offers a rare glimpse into Native American life in northern New Mexico during a time of rapid cultural upheaval and U.S. territorial ambitions. Printed as a stereograph—a paired albumen print viewed through a stereoscope for a vivid three-dimensional effect—the work exemplifies 19th-century photographic innovation. Albumen, made from egg whites, produced sharp, richly toned images on card mounts, making them popular for both scientific documentation and parlor entertainment. At just 9.3 × 7.5 cm per image, these compact cards invited viewers into an immersive "reality" of the frontier. O'Sullivan's straightforward style elevates this beyond mere ethnography, humanizing Pah-ge with quiet dignity amid the era's often exploitative gaze on Indigenous peoples. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography and Media department, it reminds us of photography's power to preserve vanishing worlds.
About the Artist
Timothy O'Sullivan · 1840–1882
Timothy H. O'Sullivan (c. 1840–1882) emerged as one of America's pioneering photographers during a transformative era. His early life remains sparsely documented, with records suggesting he was born either in New York City or Ireland before immigrating young, possibly growing up on Staten Island. As a teenager, he apprenticed under Mathew Brady at his Fulton Street gallery in New York, mastering w...