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[Photograph Album Documenting Artifacts Removed from a Hopewellian Burial Mound]
[Photograph Album Documenting Artifacts Removed from a Hopewellian Burial Mound]
An album of original photographs seemingly produced for distribution by the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences, an educational society formed by local collectors in 1867, to herald its acquisition of objects unearthed in an 1874 burial mound excavation by a local amateur archaeologist and Lutheran minister named Jacob Gass.
The album documents six large, cloth-wrapped copper axe heads and seven stone platform pipe carvings. These discoveries, highlighted by the remarkable preservation of the corded textile axe-wrappings, were publicized by Academy head, Dr. Robert Farquharson in the Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1875, drawing national attention to Gass and to Davenport. The Academy's recorded proceedings of the same year note the publicity along with the contemporary sale and distribution of photographs:
“On motion, the committee on photographs of axes, etc.. were authorized to sell sets of the same for the benefit of the Academy.” [April 9, 1875] (pp. 74)
“Dr. Farquharson, chairman of committee on photographing, etc., reported photographing and printing done, and a labeled set sent to the “Naturalist,” beside six sets sold. The committee were authorized to send sets to as many scientific societies as they might see fit.” [April 30, 1875] (pp.74)
(Proceedings of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences: Volume 1, 1867-76 ; Published for the Academy by the Women’s Centennial Association ; Davenport, Iowa, 1876)
The items documented in the present album (which is dated May 1, 1875) have historically been overshadowed by Gass’ discovery of forged tablets in the same mound in 1877 (which kicked off a sordid series of events referred to by prominent Iowa archaeologist Marshall McKusick as “The Davenport Conspiracy”), though they survive as an important and authentic collection of Hopewell burial items which are said to remain in the original Academy collections at the Putnam Museum and Science Center in Davenport.
[Native Americana] : [Archaeology] : HASTINGS, WHITE, AND FISHER (photographers). [Photograph Album Documenting Artifacts Removed from a Hopewellian Burial Mound]. Davenport, Iowa: [Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences], (1875). 11 3/4" x 8 3/4" album. Black pebble-grained cloth over boards, brown calf over spine, board covers. Three small floral ornaments blind-stamped to spine leather between discrete lines of gilt ruling. 10 thick card leaves between blank, yellow endpages with 14 albumen print photographs laid down to all rectos and two versos (of card leaves) amid often generous hand notation and ink stamping. Text block loose, cleanly separated from exterior binding at both hinges. Contents clean, well preserved. [WITH] A single, approximately 10" x 7" original watercolor rendering on matte-framed card of an axe head.
An album of original photographs seemingly produced for distribution by the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences, an educational society formed by local collectors in 1867, to herald its acquisition of objects unearthed in an 1874 burial mound excavation by a local amateur archaeologist and Lutheran minister named Jacob Gass.
The album documents six large, cloth-wrapped copper axe heads and seven stone platform pipe carvings. These discoveries, highlighted by the remarkable preservation of the corded textile axe-wrappings, were publicized by Academy head, Dr. Robert Farquharson in the Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1875, drawing national attention to Gass and to Davenport. The Academy's recorded proceedings of the same year note the publicity along with the contemporary sale and distribution of photographs:
“On motion, the committee on photographs of axes, etc.. were authorized to sell sets of the same for the benefit of the Academy.” [April 9, 1875] (pp. 74)
“Dr. Farquharson, chairman of committee on photographing, etc., reported photographing and printing done, and a labeled set sent to the “Naturalist,” beside six sets sold. The committee were authorized to send sets to as many scientific societies as they might see fit.” [April 30, 1875] (pp.74)
(Proceedings of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences: Volume 1, 1867-76 ; Published for the Academy by the Women’s Centennial Association ; Davenport, Iowa, 1876)
The items documented in the present album (which is dated May 1, 1875) have historically been overshadowed by Gass’ discovery of forged tablets in the same mound in 1877 (which kicked off a sordid series of events referred to by prominent Iowa archaeologist Marshall McKusick as “The Davenport Conspiracy”), though they survive as an important and authentic collection of Hopewell burial items which are said to remain in the original Academy collections at the Putnam Museum and Science Center in Davenport.
[Native Americana] : [Archaeology] : HASTINGS, WHITE, AND FISHER (photographers). [Photograph Album Documenting Artifacts Removed from a Hopewellian Burial Mound]. Davenport, Iowa: [Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences], (1875). 11 3/4" x 8 3/4" album. Black pebble-grained cloth over boards, brown calf over spine, board covers. Three small floral ornaments blind-stamped to spine leather between discrete lines of gilt ruling. 10 thick card leaves between blank, yellow endpages with 14 albumen print photographs laid down to all rectos and two versos (of card leaves) amid often generous hand notation and ink stamping. Text block loose, cleanly separated from exterior binding at both hinges. Contents clean, well preserved. [WITH] A single, approximately 10" x 7" original watercolor rendering on matte-framed card of an axe head.