NEA-MATH-LA [Original Lithograph] by McKenney, Thomas L., and James Hall (Charles Bird King) - 1836

Philadelphia: F. W. Greenough, 1836. Folio (18 3/4 inches by 14 1/4 inches) lithograph from the first folio edition. The print is in excellent condition, with very vivid hand-coloring and careful use of gum arabic to highlight the image. As usual there is some offsetting from text that appeared on the facing page, but it is relatively unobtrusive, and there is none of the foxing frequently seen. There is a very narrow line of glue residue along the binding edge--well away from the image. Neamathla (1750s-1841) was born into the Creek nation and at some point moved to Florida where he became an orator and one of the most influential Seminole chiefs. When he opposed the U. S. Government's "Removal" plan to move Creeks and Seminoles to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), he was deposed as chief by Florida Governor Duval and later was forced to walk the "trail of tears" to Indian Territory. Thomas L. McKenney, who from 1816 until 1830 headed what was to become the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, commissioned Charles Bird King to paint portraits of Native American delegates visiting Washington, D.C. He also had King paint copies of other portraits that had been painted by James Otto Lewis. The result was a gallery of portraits of both great chiefs and lesser personages that was intended to serve as an important part of the historic record of the era. After leaving government service, McKenney arranged to have the portraits copied by Harold Inman for the purpose of creating a series of hand-colored lithographs. In collaboration with James Hall, McKenney produced the monumental History of the Indian Tribes of North America, that included 120 hand-colored lithographs after the paintings of King and Lewis as well as an historical essay by Hall and biographical material on most of the Native Americans pictured. Portions of the folio edition were published by various publishers during the period 1837-1844 and were followed by several octavo editions. Although hailed as an artistic success and an important contribution to Native American ethnology, the high production cost of the lithographs and relatively low sales (during an economic recession) combined to make the venture unprofitable. In 1865 a fire at the Smithsonian Institute destroyed most of the original paintings; so the only original pictorial records remaining are the hand-colored lithographs published for McKenney and Hall. They are considered to be one of the high points of 19th century Americana. Complete sets of the folio editions now sell for up to $150,000, and values of individual lithographs continue to escalate. Portraits of Seminoles are highly sought after. . First Edition. Single Sheet. Collectible-Very Good+. Illus. by Charles Bird King. Elephant Folio - over 15" - 23" tall. Fine Art Print.