A collection of photographs compiled by Horatio N. Rust (1828-1906), U.S. Indian agent and archaeological artifact collector. The main focus of the collection is Indians of Southern California and the Southwest in the late 19th century, including a set of photographs of Southwest Pueblos by John K. Hillers. There is also a collection of photographs related to abolitionist John Brown and his descendants living in the West.

Horatio Nelson Rust (1828-1906) was a U.S. Indian agent, collector of archaeological artifacts, horticulturist, and a Pasadena, California resident and booster. Born in Massachusetts, he became a friend and supporter of abolitionist John Brown (1800-1859), leader of the Harper's Ferry raid. He served as a medical volunteer in the Civil War and afterward helped raise funds for freed Black emigrants to Kansas. His lifelong interest in archaeology led to his exploration of North American Indian antiquities and culture, and he served as federal agent for the Indians of the Mission-Tule River Consolidated Agency in California from 1889 to 1893. His jurisdiction included 22 reservations, most of them in San Bernardino County. He advocated for Indian rights, sometimes stirring controversy, and helped establish an Indian school at Perris, Calif. In 1881, at the age of 53, Rust moved his family to Pasadena, where he became active in community affairs. Rust helped found Pasadena’s first public library, and he established a nursery that he and his family ran for sixty years. Rust died in 1906 at the age of 78.

766 photographs and ephemera in 14 boxes

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