Shoshone 1867 - 1872

Timothy O'Sullivan made this albumen silver print, titled "Shoshone," during a time of intense westward expansion in the United States. O'Sullivan worked for the U.S. government, documenting the Western landscape and its inhabitants, including Native American tribes. The photograph depicts a group of Shoshone people posed in front of what looks like a camp. Consider the power dynamics at play here: O'Sullivan, as a representative of the U.S. government, held significant authority in dictating how these individuals and their culture were represented. The Shoshone are seen through the lens of a dominant, colonizing culture. What does it mean to fix their image in a moment of such intense cultural disruption? What stories are silenced, and what narratives are amplified through this selective framing? This photograph is a potent reminder of the complexities inherent in documenting marginalized communities and the importance of critically examining the historical context in which such images are produced and consumed.