Deaf Bull c. 1880

Laton Alton Huffman made this photograph of Deaf Bull sometime around the turn of the century. It’s a straightforward portrait, yet the photographic process itself speaks volumes. Huffman was one of many photographers then fanning out across the American West, recording its landscape and inhabitants. The wet collodion process he likely used involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in the camera while still wet, and then developing it immediately. This required portable darkrooms and considerable expertise, making photography a complex blend of science and artistry. Consider the social context: while Huffman aimed to document, he was also participating in a colonial project. Photography was a tool for cataloging and, in effect, claiming ownership of the West and its people. In that light, the very act of photographing Deaf Bull becomes a charged encounter, a negotiation between representation and control. It reminds us that even seemingly objective images are shaped by power dynamics and cultural narratives.