Description
This collection contains 50
photographs collected by Florence Barclay Hyatt (born 1865) including card
photographs chronicling the aftermath of the Wounded Knee Massacre in
southwestern South Dakota from 1890 to 1891, with images of Buffalo Bill, Captain Frank Dwight Baldwin, General Nelson Appleton
Miles, and Chief Kicking Bear. Other images include nature scenes in
the mid-Western United States and portraits of Hyatt’s extended family members.
Background
Florence Barclay Hyatt was born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1865; her mother had been a Union nurse while her father had been
a soldier in
the Union army during the Civil War. In 1876, Florence’s family moved to the Dakota Territory; one of the first bits of news
that greeted them here was of the Custer Massacre, and Florence
remembered watching personally the soldiers calling on Mrs. Custer to inform her of the tragedy.
Later in life, Florence married Wellington Barrington Hyatt, whose father was Aaron Hyatt, a well-known Civil War gunsmith.
The Hyatts had a son whom they named Ray Hyatt.
Relocating seemed to be a way of life for Florence. Throughout the years, she lived in Bismarck, North Dakota; Chadron, Nebraska;
Savanna, Illinois; Chicago, Illinois; and Seattle, Washington.
A significant portion of
photographs chronicle the aftermath of the Wounded Knee Massacre in southwestern South Dakota. This event stemmed from white settlers’
fears of the Indian Ghost Dance,
which many settlers and the United States Army saw as a war dance that encouraged physical violence. Tensions between the
Sioux and the U.S. Army came to a head in December 1890, when a Sioux rifle accidently
discharged, prompting the military to shoot and kill more than 250 Sioux Indians, mainly women and children.
Extent
49
photographs in 1 box ;
photographs 15 x 20 cm. (6 x 8 in.) and smaller + 1 daguerreotype in separate case
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Availability
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.