Butcher Jim, Ute
1899
Medium
Photography-Photoprint
Classification
Photography-Photoprint
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro
Accession Number
2008.36.1
Art Historical Context
**Butcher Jim, Ute** (1899) is a compelling photoprint by John K. Rose, capturing the dignified presence of a Ute individual named Butcher Jim. Created at the turn of the 20th century, this photograph exemplifies early documentary photography, a medium that was revolutionizing visual storytelling. Photoprints like this one, typically produced via gelatin silver processes, allowed for detailed, reproducible images that preserved moments with remarkable clarity and intimacy. In the late 19th century, the Ute people—indigenous to regions spanning Colorado, Utah, and beyond—faced profound changes...