FIRST LECTURE

Brought to you by the Grosse Pointe Artist Association:

In his effort to show respect for the Native American subjects and support the work of future researchers,  Jakob Dopp, the graphics division cataloger at the William L. Clements Library on the U of M Ann Arbor Campus, worked tirelessly to uncover the true stories behind the photos in the Richard Pohrt, Jr. Collection of Native American Photography. He will talk about his process and share insights into the collection as the first lecturer in the series celebrating the nation's 250th birthday. The presentation is at 2 pm on Sunday, Jan. 11, in the historic Alger House on The War Memorial campus.

As Dopp developed records for the photos, he found that the subjects were often misidentified. Some had multiple names and their tribal affiliations were wrong. Circumstances suggest they even might have been photographed while being held as prisoners of war. Since subjects were sometimes made to pose with studio props, he also had to question the backdrops. Because the Pohrt Collection donor also held a strong interest in Native American objects/items, Dopp has included rich descriptions of various aspects of clothing and such in his records.

(Photo above is a Nez Perce tipi from the Pohrt Collection.)