A. Frank Randall Photographs of Apache Indians

This disbound album contains 123 photographs taken by photographer A. Frank Randall between 1883 and 1888. The photographs have descriptive captions written by Randall, most identifying their subjects. The images include studio and field photographs of Apache Indians taken during the United States military campaign to capture Apache renegades during the Apache Wars. Notable portraits include those of A. Frank Randall, Geronimo, Naiche, and Nelson A. Miles. There are also some scenes of Indian agencies and camps in Arizona. The last part of the album ends with views in Southern California, including Rancho Camulos, scenes of Santa Barbara, missions, and San Diego. There are also views of Guaymas, Mexico.

The majority of Randall's photographs are portraits of men, women, and children from various Apache subtribes in Arizona and New Mexico. Among these photographs are images of a fox tamer; a fiddler; a flutist; a well-dressed, possibly high-ranking Apache man; medicine men; young girls; mothers and their infant children; and Apache chiefs. Portraits of United States Army officers and scouts include Nelson A. Miles, Leonard Wood, Wilber E. Wilder, Roger Ames, Henry W. Lawton, William A. Thompson, Amos S. Kimball, John A. Dapray, Thomas J. Clay, Frank P. Bennett, Buffalo Jack, a female Indian scout, and Apache scouts. Randall also included photographs of Rancho Camulos, many of which show people dramatizing scenes from Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona. Antonio Franco Coronel appears in some scenes. Other images include views of Missions Santa Barbara and San Juan Capistrano, what may be Vasquez Creek and Tujunga Canyon near Los Angeles, and street scenes of Guaymas, Mexico.

The first page of the album is a dedication written by Randall, saying: "This album is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Captain Emmet Crawford who offered his life as a sarafice [sic] to the Apache race, a brave and noble man, the idol of his friends. Murdered by Mexicans in Mexico January 11th 1886. A. Franklin Randall, artist." A newspaper cutout of Captain Crawford's portrait has been pasted on the dedication page. On the reverse side of the page, Randall wrote: "Presented to Claire W. Murphy. Christmas 1888. The Author [Randall]." Part of this presentation note includes a phrase written in Greek.

Though presumably the photographs are all by Randall, research has shown some images may be the work of Ben Wittick.

Item titles transcribed from A. Frank Randall's handwritten captions.