In Citizen's Garb: Southern Plains Native Americans, 1889-1891, a photographic exploration of how dress and life changed for the Kiowa, Comanche and other plains tribes during the last part of the 19th century, is on display in The Marjorie Barrick Museum at UNLV.
The exhibit features 53 photographs struck from the original glass negatives of period photographers William J. Lenny and William L. Sawyers. Two of the many white entrepreneurs quick to capitalize on the romantic culture of Native American life and the West, Lenny's and Sawyers' photographs capture the large-scale efforts by the United States government to force Native American tribes to adapt Euro-American ways.
Many of the photographs show obvious, yet powerful, details of the acculturation process. Images of Native Americans in both citizen and native dress reflect the transition that occurred between the tribes' past and their radically different future.
The exhibition is curated and organized by John Hernandez, director of the Museum of the Great Plains in Lawton, Oklahoma, with touring assistance from ExhibitsUSA. The mission of ExhibitsUSA is to create access to an array of arts and humanities exhibitions, nurture the development and understanding of diverse art forms and cultures, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities.
Admission to the exhibit is free. For more information, contact Aurore Giguet at (702) 895-1402 or visit the .
