Archives On The Air 142: Candids From The Crow Tribe—Richard Throssel Papers

By Wyoming Public Media

Published April 9, 2019 at 12:37 PM MDT

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"The muskrat hunter" by Richard Throssel, ca. 1906-11. Box 8, Richard Throssel papers.

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"The muskrat hunter" by Richard Throssel, ca. 1906-11. Box 8, Richard Throssel papers.

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"A crow dancer" colorized photograph by Richard Throssel, ca. 1906-11. Box 48, Richard Throssel papers.

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"A crow dancer" colorized photograph by Richard Throssel, ca. 1906-11. Box 48, Richard Throssel papers.

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"Bathers" by Richard Throssel, ca. 1906-11. Box 9, Richard Throssel papers.

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"Bathers" by Richard Throssel, ca. 1906-11. Box 9, Richard Throssel papers.

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"Game of arrows" by Richard Throssel, ca. 1906-11. Box 16, Richard Throssel papers.

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"Game of arrows" by Richard Throssel, ca. 1906-11. Box 16, Richard Throssel papers.

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Portrait of Plenty Coups, Chief of the Crows, by Richard Throssel, ca. 1906-11. Box 22, Richard Throssel papers.

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Portrait of Plenty Coups, Chief of the Crows, by Richard Throssel, ca. 1906-11. Box 22, Richard Throssel papers.

In 1906, the Crow tribe adopted a man with a camera into their ranks. His name was Richard Throssel.

Throssel had a mixed background of Scottish, English, and Cree. His adoption gave him unique access to the Crow tribe.

From 1906 to 1911 Throssel took more than one thousand photographs of the Crow. These included candid shots of everyday activities like hunting, ceremonial dancing, and playing games.

Throssel also took portraits of the tribe's notable figures. One of these was Chief Plenty Coups, who advocated for education among Native Americans. Chief Plenty Coups also represented the Crow Nation in Washington D.C. when the U.S. Government debated abolishing the nation.

Throssel's extensive photographs of the Crow tribe are available online through UW's American Heritage Center.