The Tlingit encounter with photography

"Based on research in 13 North American archives (including the Penn Museum's Shotridge Collection), examination of hundreds of photographs, and extensive oral-history interviews with both Tlingit and non-Natives, Sharon Bohn Gmelch presents valuable insights on the reactions of Native subjects to being photographed and their own early use of photography. Today, these now historical images are being reclaimed from public archives by the Tlingit, contributing to a new sense of empowerment and pride in their rich heritage." "This is the first book to explore the photographic imagery of the Tlingit during a critical period of change, from the 1860s through the 1920s. It also provides the first full treatment of the Tlingit photography of Elbridge W. Merrill, a neglected figure in the history of ethnographic photography." "The author has included 129 rare photographic images, a map, bibliography, and index."--BOOK JACKET.