McKenney and Hall Pl. 29, Wa-em-boesh-kaa, A Chippeway Chief

The Oppenheimer Field Museum edition of McKenney and Hall Pl. 29, Wa-em-boesh-kaa, A Chippeway Chief depicts an Indigenous American wearing traditional and colonial garb.

Printed with archival pigments on rag watercolor paper, this modern facsimile print captures the color and texture of McKenney and Hall’s original portrait. Enrich your environment with this historically significant portrait!

About the History of the Indian Tribes of North America

First published in three volumes between 1838 and 1844, the History of the Indian Tribes of North America captures 125 portraits of Native American chieftains, orators, and translators who engaged in territorial negotiations with the U.S. government. The project was initiated by Thomas Loraine McKenney, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and James Hall, who authored the corresponding text. The project records the likeness and biography of many of the Native individuals who acted as liaisons between their tribes and the United States federal government during the period of negotiation before President Andrew Jackson endorsed the Indian Removal Act in 1830. As a result, the History of the Indian Tribes of North America is unique in that it records the struggle and resilience of many Native American diplomats who sought to combat the U.S. possession of their land.

The Oppenheimer Field Museum Edition of History of the Indian Tribes of North America makes a select number of McKenney and Hall’s 19th-century artworks available as modern fine art prints in a limited edition of 750. Uniquely produced from the original lithographs in the collection of The Field Museum’s Mary W. Runnells Rare Book Room, the Oppenheimer Editions prints are made with the finest quality archival pigments on rag watercolor paper and executed to exacting standards.

About Thomas Loraine McKenney and James Hall

Thomas Loraine McKenney was the Superintendent of Indian Affairs at the time of President Andrew Jackson’s endorsement of the Indian Removal Act in 1830, causing him to witness the mass displacement of Native American tribes from their homelands. With James Hall, McKenney initiated a project to document the likeness and biographies of 125 Native American chieftains, orators, and translators who engaged in territorial negotiations with the U.S. government during this time. The project was titled History of the Indian Tribes of North America and published in three volumes between 1838 and 1844.

About Oppenheimer Editions

Established in 1999, our publishing company Oppenheimer Editions was developed in order to produce modern facsimiles of historic works of art. Marrying cutting-edge digital printing technologies with canonical works of art, Oppenheimer Editions has partnered with prestigious museums to make their holdings accessible to the public as fine art prints. Works from the New-York Historical Society’s unrivaled collections of John James Audubon’s watercolors and the Hudson River School paintings are examples of art that otherwise would be unobtainable.

Among the institutional collections we have partnered with are the American Museum of Natural History, the Field Museum, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Our Oppenheimer Editions prints are not mere reproductions. Rather, they are limited-edition fine art prints made with the finest quality archival pigments on rag watercolor paper and executed to exacting standards.

For more information about McKenney and Hall Pl. 29, Wa-em-boesh-kaa, A Chippeway Chief, email us at [email protected] or check out our article McKenney and Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America.