1. BEN WITTICK, A Trip to Zuni No. 627 The Pueblo in the Evening from the South,1896 c, Silver Collodion Print, 7.4x9.4" ASG# BW2/1358

2. BEN WITTICK Zuni Pueblo, 4 men and cart in foreground, 1896 C, Silver Collodion Print7.5x9.3" ASG# BW2/1367

Ben Wittick Photographed in Zuni for many years, and in these views he focuses on the exterior of this New Mexico Pueblo from a short distance with people posed in front.

Provenance: From the collection of legendary Santa Fe American Indian Art and Trader Rex Arrowsmith, who was active from the late 1940s until his death in 2017

G. Ben Wittick (b. 1845 Huntington County, Pennsylvania; d. 1903, Ft. Wingate, New Mexico). A prominent 19th century regional photographer, Wittick had his first studio in Moline, Illinois. He was very successful in marketing as his photographs were more reminiscent of earlier delegation photographs and field views of the Geologic Survey photographers. Primarily he made scenic images of natural wonders of the Southwest, as well as Indian life among the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni. He became known as the first photographer to make images of the Hopi Snake Dance. When he died in 1903 while collecting rattlesnakes for the Hopi Snake Dance it was said that the words of the snake priest from years before predicting his death at the fangs of a snake had been fulfilled. Wittick's formats ranged from albumen print stereo cards to silver prints up to 11 x 14". He was friends of John Hillers and published Hillers images under his imprint

BW2/1358 Zuni in evening Very Good rich tones with mild wear a few tiny spots, with old insect damage to mount top and right including severe damage to the upper right corner about 1" diagonal
BW2/1367 3 White men and Indian in front of Zuni Good has generally rich tones with a 4 inch diagonal rub streak on left side, edge chipping foxing spots in sky, old insect damage to back of mount but does don't impact print