A. Frank Randall Photographs of Apache Indians: Finding Aid photCL
101
Finding aid prepared by Michelle Sanchez.
The Huntington Library
© 2014
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San Marino, California 91108
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Note
Last updated by Brooke M. Black in September 2024.
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: A. Frank Randall Photographs of Apache Indians
Identifier/Call Number: photCL 101
Physical Description:
0.9 Linear Feet
(123 photographs in 1 disbound album; prints 18 x 11 cm. (7.25 x
4.5 in.))
Date (inclusive): approximately 1883-1888
Abstract: This disbound album contains 123
photographs taken by photographer A. Frank Randall between 1883 and 1888. 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.
Language of Material: English.
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necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
A. Frank Randall Photographs of Apache Indians. The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Provenance
Gift of Mrs. Lyman Thompson in December 1957.
Biographical Note
A. Frank Randall was born March 2, 1854, in Massachusetts. Little is known about his early
years, but in 1883, he accompanied General George Crook's expedition as a newspaper
correspondent and photographer in the campaign to capture Apache Indians in Mexico. For the
next four years, Randall traveled around Arizona and New Mexico photographing various Apache
tribes, including the Chiricahua, Warm Springs, Mescalero, and Jicarilla Apaches. In 1887,
Randall moved to California and spent his final years in Alameda County, where he died of a
heart attack on March 4, 1916.
Scope and Content of Collection
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.
Bibliography
Sources used in the creation of this finding aid include:
Faulk, Odie B.
The Geronimo Campaign. Oxford University Press: New
York, 1969.
Kraft, Louis.
Gatewood & Geronimo. University of New Mexico Press:
Albuquerque, 2000.
Lane, Jack C., ed.
Chasing Geronimo: The Journal of Leonard Wood,
May-September, 1886.
University of New Mexico Press: Albuquerque, 1970.
Radbourne, Allan. "Capturing the Apaches: The Photographs of A. Frank Randall."
Wild West, February 2004.
A Researcher's Guide to the Apache Indian Photographs made by A. Franklin
Randall in Arizona and New Mexico 1883-1887: Part Two: The Mescalero Apache Reservation,
N.M., and Fort Bowie, A.T., 1885-1886.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Apache Indians -- Photographs.
Apache Indians -- Wars, 1883-1886 -- Photographs.
Chiricahua Indians -- Photographs.
Chiricahua Indians -- Wars -- Photographs.
Fort Bowie (Ariz.) -- Photographs.
Fort Huachuca (Ariz.) -- Photographs.
Hotels -- Arizona -- Photographs.
Indians of North America -- Southwest, New -- Photographs.
Indian scouts -- Photographs.
Jackson, Helen Hunt, 1830-1885. Ramona -- Pictorial works --
Photographs.
Jicarilla Indians -- Photographs.
Medicine-man -- Photographs.
Mescalero Indians -- Photographs.
Mission San Juan Capistrano -- Photographs.
Mohave Indians -- Photographs.
Rancho Camulos (Ventura County, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Santa Barbara Mission -- Photographs.
United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Fort Apache Agency --
Photographs.
United States. Bureau of Indian Affairs. San Carlos Agency --
Photographs.
Warm Spring Apache Indians -- Photographs.
Arizona -- Photographs.
Guaymas (Sonora, Mexico) -- Photographs.
New Mexico -- Photographs.
Photographs
Photograph albums
Studio portraits.
Box 1
Photograph Album
Online items
Box 1, Item 1
"Yours to help the oppressed. A. Franklin Randall. 1888." [Colorized portrait
of A. Franklin Randall with shotgun and pioneer clothing]
Box 1, Item 2
Caption within photograph: "Nachez" or "Noi-chi-ri", son of Cochise, and
wife. Chief of Chiricahua Apaches. Randall's caption: Natches, new chief of the
Chiricahua Apaches. Son of Old Cochise. Sent to Shonda in 1886.
Box 1, Item 3
Geronimo. Head war chief of the Chiricahua Apaches. Surrendered in 1886 and
sent to Florida. The most noted renegade of the day. Campaign of 1883 and
1886.
Box 1, Item 4
Chatto. Chiricahua Apache. Chief of the band that killed Judge and Mrs. Comas
in 1883 and took little Charley prisoner.
Box 1, Item 5
Chief Chihuahua, Chiricahua Apache. Sent to Florida spring of 1886 by Genl.
Crook
Box 1, Item 6
Berrito & Dutche. Chief Berrito was with Chatto in their raids in 1883 in
Arizona, N.M. and old Mex. Returned with General Crook to the reservation and his band
now are farming.
Box 1, Item 7
Ramon's camp. He is Geronimo's Medicine Man.
Box 1, Item 8
Captain Crawford's orderly [Indian man leading a horse]
Box 1, Item 9
San Carlos Apaches working on their ditch
Box 1, Item 10
Photo caption: Apache scouts. Randall's caption: Cayalero Apaches from Nanas
band
Box 1, Item 11
Mojave Runners [Two Mojave Indian men with beaded neck chokers]
Box 1, Item 12
3 Graces from the Mojave Apaches [Three Mojave girls]
Box 1, Item 13
"Nal-tzuc-ei-oh". Apache squaw. Spy in Chiricahua Campaign
Box 1, Item 14
Charley, Apache fiddler [Apache man sitting with an Apache
fiddle]
Box 1, Item 15
Chiricahua Apache Prince [Apache man with disk-jewelry, quiver, and shoulder
blanket]
Box 1, Item 16
Caption within photograph: Apache boy and maiden. Randall's caption: White
Mountain Apache Squaw
Box 1, Item 17
Caption within photograph: "Ze-le" and wife, "Tzes-tone" [Faded caption]
Apache Chief Randall's caption: Zeli and Squaw. Chief of the Chiricahua.
Apaches
Box 1, Item 18
Loco. Ex-medicine man of the Chiricahua Apaches
Box 1, Item 19
Fort Apache, Arizona. Jan. '84
Box 1, Item 20
Chiricahua Bronco Squaws [Two girls with baskets and beaded
jewelry]
Box 1, Item 21
White Mont. [Mountain] Apache camp
Box 1, Item 22
Augustine. Head Chief Jicarilla Apaches
Box 1, Item 23
Mescalero Squaw and papoose
Box 1, Item 24
Mojave Apache Chief [Possibly "Victorio" according to visiting scholar, March
2007]
Box 1, Item 25
Carjetero Apache squaws from Chief Sauches band [Young woman and girl with
cape and wrap]
Box 1, Item 26
Joseffa Ircarilla, Apache belle
Box 1, Item 27
Frank Bennett. Chief of scouts in New Mexico. Victorio Campaign
1882.
Box 1, Item 28
Domingo [illegible word] renegade Mescalero Apaches
Box 1, Item 29
Mescalero Apache Squaw and Children
Box 1, Item 30
"Peaches" [Penaltish or Tzoch] and Scouts in employ of U.S.A.
Box 1, Item 31
Apache cherubs [Two Apache infants in papooses]
Box 1, Item 32
Tonto Apaches [Man in feathered headdress and woman holding
basket]
Box 1, Item 33
White Mountain Apaches and Papoosi
Box 1, Item 34
"Got-ha", Warm Spring Apache. Grandfather of his tribe.
Box 1, Item 35
San Carlos Apaches [Two Apache men with basket hats]
Box 1, Item 36
San Juan, Head Chief of the Mescalero Apaches in New Mex.
Box 1, Item 37
Mautzili, War Chief of Mescalero Apaches in New Mex.
Box 1, Item 38
Old Mescalero Apache Squaw
Box 1, Item 39
Little Old Boy, Mescalero Apache Dwarf
Box 1, Item 40
Forty Horse, Apache Squaw, and sister. 40 horses is the Father's price for
her
Box 1, Item 41
Apache boy and dove. Chiricahua
Box 1, Item 42
Apache boy painted for a play fight. S.C. [Possibly San Carlos?]
Box 1, Item 43
Corcara San Carlos Apache. A friend to the author
Box 1, Item 44
Coley, a good Indian Scout. San Carlos tribe S.C. [Possibly San
Carlos?]
Box 1, Item 45
Tonto Apache Squaw Cradle [Apache woman with infant in a back
papoose]
Box 1, Item 46
"Na-buash-i-ta". Medicine Man of the White Mountain Apache
Box 1, Item 47
Mescalero Apache Squaw and Children
Box 1, Item 48
Lance[?] warrior Jicarilla Apache
Box 1, Item 49
Apache bride and captive. In Cuyalino tribe
Box 1, Item 50
Romeo and Juliet. Jicarilla Apaches. [Possibly Augustine (22) and his wife
Joseffa (26)]
Box 1, Item 51
Jose [illegible word] renegade in 1883
Box 1, Item 52
Apache mother and child [Apache woman holding infant in a
papoose]
Box 1, Item 53
Mescalero Apache. Apache Curios
Box 1, Item 54
Har-li-mier. Mojave medicine man
Box 1, Item 55
San Carlos Apache belle. Chappas Squaw
Box 1, Item 57
Chiricahua Apache bronco boy
Box 1, Item 59
Gorgonia, Mescalero Medicine Man. Apache convert
Box 1, Item 60
Pabla, Chief of Jicarilla Apaches
Box 1, Item 61
Apache Mothers. Fort Apache, 1884 [Two Apache women with infants in
papooses]
Box 1, Item 62
Commanche John, son of old Chief Blues Knife [i.e. Comanche]
Box 1, Item 63
San Carlos Apache with skull smasher
Box 1, Item 65
San Carlos Warrior Scout. 1887
Box 1, Item 66
Natches and Geronimo after their surrender in '86 at Fort Bowie,
AZ
Box 1, Item 67
In the field after Geronimo. 1886. Lt. [Leonard] Wood, A.A.S.[?]; Lt. [Roger]
Ames; Lt. [Wilbur E.] Wilder; Capt. [Henry W.] Lawton; Brig. Gen. [Nelson A.] Miles;
Capt. [William A.] Thompson; Major [Amos S.] Kimball [A.Agm?] ; Lt. [John A.] Dapray;
Lt. [Thomas J.] Clay.
Box 1, Item 68
Polly, Mojave Apache Squaw
Box 1, Item 69
Jicarilla Apache fox tamer
Box 1, Item 70
Apache sweat house. San Carlos
Box 1, Item 72
Fort Huachuca AZ. Bird's eye view
Box 1, Item 73
San Carlos Ind[ian] Agency. AZ
Box 1, Item 75
Jicarilla Apache Belle [Side portrait of Apache woman holding a
basket]
Box 1, Item 76
Nusen and Squaw. San Carlos Apaches
Box 1, Item 77
Mescalero Apaches. N.M. [Apache woman and daughter wearing beaded necklaces
and Western dresses]
Box 1, Item 78
Buffalo Jack. Scout in New Mexico
Box 1, Item 79
Arizona female scout, '86
Box 1, Item 80
San Carlos Apache scouts camp
Box 1, Item 81
Meat House on ration day. San Carlos, AZ
Box 1, Item 82
Cayalero[?] Apaches and ditch. San Carlos '86
Box 1, Item 83
Chief Antonio's band and ditch. San Carlos '86
Box 1, Item 84
Nautzili, war chief. Mescalero Apaches
Box 1, Item 85
Giant Cactus [Two men studying a giant cactus]
Box 1, Item 86
Cactus Boquet [sic]—Arizona
Box 1, Item 88
Old Mission Santa Barbara
Box 1, Item 89
Old monk. Santa Barbara [Monk standing on bridge over pond at Mission Santa
Barbara]
Box 1, Item 90
Chapel Camulos [Rancho Camulos]
Box 1, Item 91
Old Mission Bells. Santa Barbara
Box 1, Item 92
Señora, Phillipi, Ramona, and Allisandro [Re-enactment of a scene from Helen
Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona at Rancho Camulos]
Box 1, Item 93
Interior chapel, Camulos [Rancho Camulos]
Box 1, Item 94
Father Salvierderra [A character portrayal from the novel Ramona at Rancho
Camulos]
Box 1, Item 95
Old Mission Santa Barbara [View of bell tower between trees and
cactus]
Box 1, Item 96
Old Bells, Camulus [sic] [Rancho Camulos]
Box 1, Item 97
Margaritta [Girl carrying water pot, possibly at Rancho Camulos]
Box 1, Item 98
Spanish group on east porch [Possibly at Rancho Camulos]
Box 1, Item 99
Alessandro at so[uth] gate [Re-enactment of the novel Ramona at Rancho
Camulos]
Box 1, Item 100
Ramona on the south porch [Re-enactment of the novel Ramona at Rancho
Camulos]
Box 1, Item 101
Escape of Ramona [Re-enactment of the novel Ramona at Rancho
Camulos]
Box 1, Item 102
The prospector's friend. Arizona [Donkey laden with prospecting
supplies]
Box 1, Item 103
Hotel de Vandevere[?]. Fort Huachuca. AZ
Box 1, Item 104
The Spanish salute [One of the dancers is Antonio Coronel. Possibly at Rancho
Camulos]
Box 1, Item 105
"La danca" National [Dancers are Antonio Coronel and Mrs. Brandt. Possibly at
Rancho Camulos]
Box 1, Item 106
Spanish National dance. Cal. [The dancer on the left is Mrs. Brandt and the
middle dancer is Antonio Coronel. Possibly at Rancho Camulos]
Box 1, Item 107
The corn grinder. Spanish. [Woman grinding corn, possibly at Rancho
Camulos]
Box 1, Item 108
West front San Juan Mission [Ruins of corridors of Mission San Juan
Capistrano]
Box 1, Item 109
Old tile roof, San Juan [Mission San Juan Capistrano]
Box 1, Item 110
Inside corridors San Juan Mission [Man standing against corridor pillar at
Mission San Juan Capistrano]
Box 1, Item 111
Old bells, San Juan [Capistrano] Mission
Box 1, Item 112
The hermit's cabin on this Tujunga [Old man and his small house]
Box 1, Item 113
From Vasques [sic] Stronghold on the Tujunga. Cal. [View of
stream]
Box 1, Item 114
Looking down the Tujunga from Vasques [sic] Stronghold
Box 1, Item 115
"Having good time, don't you think?" [Girl and dog on cart drawn by
burro]
Box 1, Item 116
A corner at San Diego, Cal. [Men sitting on dock next to ship]
Box 1, Item 117
Residence of American Consul. Guaymas, Mex.
Box 1, Item 118
East side of Plaza Guaymas Mex.
Box 1, Item 120
Fishermen. Guaymas harbor
Box 1, Item 121
Bird's eye view Guaymas, Mex.
Box 1, Item 122
Plaza de Armas y Palacio [Mexico]
Box 1, Item 123
Alisandro + Ramona at the window after the morning chant. "Beautiful Queen
Princess of Heaven." [Re-enactment of the novel Ramona at Rancho Camulos] [This
photograph was originally pasted on the inside of the album's back cover.]