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 Inventory of the Richard Throssel Papers, 1900-1960, 1993University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.Email: ahcref@uwyo.eduURL: http://ahc.uwyo.edu/ "©" 2006 University of Wyoming
BiographyThrossel (1882-1933) was born in Washington state of Cree Indian and English descent. He worked as an office clerk at the Crow Indian Reservation in south-central Montana from 1902-1910 and was adopted by the Crow tribe in 1905. While at the reservation he met photographer Edward S. Curtis, and was briefly instructed by him. Throssel became a field photographer for the Crow reservation before he established his own photography studio, the Throssel Photocraft Company, in Billings, Montana, in 1910. Richard Throssel was born on September 18, 1882, in Marengo, Washington. His maternal heritage was, in part, Cree Indian, while his father was of English descent. In 1902 Throssel was employed as an office clerk at the Crow Reservation Agency in south central Montana. There is evidence that Throssel identified to some degree with Indian people, and he was later legally adopted by the Crow. He also learned to speak and "sign" the Crow language. While at the reservation Throssel developed his photography and painting skills. He tried his hand at painting under the guidance of Joseph Henry Sharp, founder of the Taos School of Artists. It was also at the agency that Throssel met photographer Edward S. Curtis and for a brief period Throssel was instructed by Curtis. Throssel decided to pursue a career in photography and became a field photographer for the Crow Agency. In 1910 he left the agency to open a photography studio in Billings, Montana, where he continued to photograph and paint Indian subjects. Throssel married Florence Pifer in 1904. They had two daughters, Vera and Alberta. Richard Throssel passed away on June 10, 1933, at Camp Cooney, Montana. See Box 57 for "The Photography of Richard Throssel: an Annotated Bibliography" by Peggy Albright. Arrangement of CollectionThe Richard Throssel Papers are arranged in 4 series. The bulk of the collection is contained in the Photographs and Negatives series. Each series is described in a separate finding aid which may be accessed by clicking on the series detail links below. Most of the 2,481 images in this series are contained in both pictures and negatives. Subjects of the images are mainly Native Americans and outdoor scenes from the early 1900s.Series II. Papers, 1900-1960, 1993. .7 cubic ft. (1 document box and 1 slim document box). Includes printed material, correspondence, speeches and miscellaneous items.Series III. Non-Photographic Media, 1904-1933. 5.38 cubic ft. (1 F22 box and 19 items). The subjects of the copyrighted paintings are mostly Native Americans or outdoor scenes.Series IV. Artifact, n.d. .21 cubic ft. (1 negative box). One powder horn.Scope and ContentCollection contains materials mainly relating to Throssel's photographic work of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indians from 1902-1933. Collection includes 2,481 photographs, glass plate negatives and lantern slides of daily life, ceremonies, portraits and village scenes of the Crow and Northern Cheyenne; what is now the Little Bighorn National Monument; daily life of Billings; Throssel and his family; ranching; and scenery of southern Montana and northern Wyoming (1902-ca. 1920s). Collection also includes 12 pieces of correspondence with Throssel and of his family (1915-1916, 1928, 1954-1960); manuscripts and speeches by Throssel on Indian culture; newspaper clippings, pamphlets and other printed materials on Throssel and his photography (1900-1963, 1993); 25 paintings by Throssel of outdoor scenes and Crow Indians (1904-1933); and 1 powder horn. The bulk of the Richard Throssel Photographs is composed of photographs taken of Crow and Cheyenne Indians during the early 1900s. The collection also contains some manuscripts, notes, and paintings pertaining to Crow and Cheyenne Indian culture. Both the photographs and written material are very useful for understanding the changes Native Americans faced during the early twentieth century. The collection also contains many scenic photographs taken of southern Montana and northern Wyoming. The photos of early day Billings, Montana, document both structures and events. There are also photos and written material on Richard Throssel and his family. Prints and negatives with the same title-description may or may not be identical. Also some images may have more than one title-description. Many of the lantern slide images are duplicates of the positives and/or the glass plate negatives. Boxes 54 and 55 contain broken glass plate negatives. Photographs having actual titles are listed in quotes. Subjects listed on content page are general, for more specific identification see index. These photographs would be helpful to anyone interested in Plains Indian culture and the adjustment Native Americans made to a new lifestyle on the reservation, early day outdoor sports, or life in a western city during the early 1900s. Throssel # - sequential number apparently assigned by Richard Throssel. TP# - Throssel photograph arbitrary number assigned to distinguish photographs. AHC Neg. # - File number of copy negatives made by the American Heritage Center. RestrictionsAccess RestrictionsThere are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public. The photographic positive images may be used by researchers. The use of glass plate negatives requires the permission of the reference archivist. Copyright InformationThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply. Preferred CitationItem Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Richard Throssel Photographs, 1900-1960, 1993, Accession Number 2394, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. Processing InformationThe collection was processed by Elizabeth Hokanson in April 1994. Acquisition InformationThe Richard Throssel collection was loaned to the American Heritage Center in 1967 by his daughters, Vera Throssel and Alberta Throssel Hawkins. In 1990 Vera Throssel deeded it to the American Heritage Center. Related MaterialsThere are no known other archival collections created by Richard Throssel at the date of processing. Access TermsBillings (Mont.) -- History Cheyenne Indians -- Photographs Cheyenne Indians Crow Indians -- Photographs Crow Indian Reservation (Mont.) Crow Indians Glass plate negatives Indians of North America -- Montana Lantern slides Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument (Mont.) Montana -- History Negatives Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation (Mont.) Photography -- Montana Photography -- Montana -- Billings Photography -- Wyoming Speeches Throssel Family Throssel Photocraft Company Works of art Wyoming -- History -- 1890-1918 Wyoming -- History -- 1919-1945 |
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