For millions of Americans, Solomon D. Butcher’s photographs epitomize the sod-house frontier. His late-nineteenth-century images from western Nebraska constitute the most extensive photographic record in existence of the generation that settled the Great Plains. The faces are unforgettable: jaunty bachelors and earnest husbands, Civil War veterans of both armies, spinster sodbusters and determined mothers, cowhands, farmhands, and former slaves—all in search of land of their own. Originally published in 1985, this first book devoted to Butcher and his photographs presents a unique visual chronicle of Great Plains settlement and established Butcher’s place in frontier photography. Everyone interested in the plains pioneers or historical American photography will prize this splendid book.

Solomon D. Butcher: Photographing the American Dream

Carter, John E.

History

University Of Nebraska Press

On a wintry day in December 1890, near a creek named Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the Seventh Cavalry of the U. S. Army opened fire on an encampment of Sioux Indians led by Big Foot. Coming two weeks after the killing of Sitting Bull, in a tense atmosphere of suspicion and misunderstanding, the careless discharge of one gun set off a massacre that claimed more than 250 lives, including those of many Indian women and children. The tragedy at Wounded Knee, which is generally considered the last episode of the Indian Wars, has often been written about but the existing photographs have received little attention until now. 
Eyewitness at Wounded Knee brings together and assesses for the first time some 150 photographs that were made before and immediately after the massacre. Present at the scene were two itinerant photographers, George Trager and Clarence Grant Moreledge, whose work has never before been published. Accompanying commentaries focus on both the Indian and military sides of the story. Richard Jensen's "Another Look at Wounded Knee" dwells on the political and economic quagmire in which the Sioux found themselves after 1877. In "Your Country Is Surrounded," R. Eli Paul discusses the army's role at Wounded Knee. John Carter, in "Making Pictures for a News-Hungry Nation," deals with the photographers and also the reporters and relic hunters who were looking to profit from the misfortune of others. Their words enhance our appreciation of the haunting images in this first book-length photographic history of the events that led up to and followed the bloodshed at Wounded Knee.

Eyewitness at Wounded Knee (Great Plains Photography)

Arts & Photography

Jensen, Richard E.

Paul, R. Eli

Photography & Video

On a wintry day in December 1890, near a creek named Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, the Seventh Cavalry of the U.S. Army opened fire on an encampment of Sioux Indians. This assault claimed more than 250 lives, including those of many Indian women and children. The tragedy at Wounded Knee has often been written about, but the existing photographs have received little attention until now.
Eyewitness at Wounded Knee brings together and assesses for the first time some 150 photographs that were made before and immediately after the massacre. Present at the scene were two itinerant photographers, George Trager and Clarence Grant Morelodge, whose work has never before been published. Accompanying commentaries focus on both the Indian and the military sides of the story. Richard E. Jensen analyzes the political and economic quagmire in which the Sioux found themselves after 1877. R. Eli Paul considers the army’s role at Wounded Knee. John E. Carter discusses the photographers and also the reporters and relic hunters who were looking to profit from the misfortune of others. 
For this Bison Books edition each image has been digitally enhanced and restored, making the photographs as compelling as the event itself. Heather Cox Richardson tells the story behind the endeavor to present a meaningful account of this significant historical event.

Bison Books

For millions of Americans, Solomon D. Butcher’s photographs epitomize the sod-house frontier. His images from western Nebraska constitute the most extensive photographic record of the generation that settled the Great Plains. Their faces are imprinted on our minds: jaunty bachelors and earnest husbands (Civil War veterans of both armies), spinster sodbusters, determined mothers, cowhands, farmhands, and former slaves––all in search of land of their own. This first book devoted to Butcher and his photos presents a unique visual chronicle of that epoch, firmly establishing Butcher's place in frontier photography.In a substantial introduction, John E. Carter traces the variegated career of this Virginia-born photographer who was himself an immigrant to the Nebraska plains. Combining critical analysis with biography, Carter situates Butcher in western history as well as in the history of photography and assesses his achievements in both. Exploring the nature of Butcher’s works and their scope, content, and significance, Carter offers a perspective for evaluating the historical evidence found in his work and new insights into the evolution of Butcher’s style and subject matter.In this new paperback edition, more than 125 photographs are superbly reproduced in duotone from high-resolution scans of glass negatives. This edition also includes a new afterword by Carter, tracing the fascinating history of the photographs themselves after Butcher sold them to the Nebraska State Historical Society in 1912. Everyone interested in the plains pioneers or historical American photography will prize this splendid book.

Individual Artists

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Carter, John E.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Carter, John E.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Carter, John E.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Solomon D. Butcher: Photographing the American Dream

Eyewitness at Wounded Knee (Great Plains Photography)

Eyewitness at Wounded Knee (Great Plains Photography)

Solomon D. Butcher: Photographing the American Dream