William Richard Cross, Pioneer Photographer:

Digital Images of “Indians of North America, Prisoners of War Series”, Chilson Collection (https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/chilson/search/searchterm/Bailey%2C%20Dix%20%26%20Mead/field/contra/mode/exact/conn/and/page/1

William Richard (W. R.) Cross was born in Vermont in 1839. He learned photography from his brother Daniel Cross who was a Union Civil War photographer. In 1867, W. R. Cross moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and married Jennie Church. Subsequently, they lived in Niobrara, Nebraska for 12 years where W. R. Cross took pictures of Native Americans. In 1878 he resided on the Spotted Tail Agency, later known as the Rosebud Reservation. There he befriended John A. Anderson, who became his assistant and would reside on the reservation from 1885 to 1911. From 1890 until his death in 1907, W. R. Cross lived in Hot Springs, SD. His photography includes images of Indians of North America, scenes from western parts of South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and portraits of settlers.

The digital images in this series, as part of the Chilson Collection, include “Indians of North America, Prisoners of War.” In the description of the series, the following include: “From the series of twenty-four views of Sitting Bull and his camp photographed by W. R. Cross and published by Bailey, Dix & Mead, at Fort Randall, Dakota Territory, in 1882.”

This stereograph depicts One Bull and Black Prairie Chicken. Chilson, E99. D1 I53.

Several private and public collections contain W. R. Cross’ digital photographs and stereographs. The largest public collection is in the Black Hills State University, South Dakota Digital Library, W. R. Cross Photograph Collection, which contains 542 images in stereoscope card and single print formats (https://explore.digitalsd.org/digital/collection/WRCross).  W. R. Cross’ images provide a testament to late 19th century Nebraska and South Dakota history and people.

References:

1. William R. Cross biography

Lynne Marie Mitchell, William Richard Cross, Photographer on the Nebraska South Dakota Frontier, South Dakota Historical Society, Volume 20, pages 81-95, 1990.

2. USD Archives and Special Collections Blog, images of Sitting Bull with W. R. Cross.

Sarah A. Hanson-Pareek. “An extremely rare and perhaps significant photograph of Tatanka Iyotake  (Sitting Bull),” September 16, 2020.

https://archivesandspecialcollections.wordpress.com/category/w-r-cross/

3. Bailey, Dix, and Mead publishers of photographs

George Dix and his business partners Bailey and Mead) were based at Fort Randall, Dakota Territory. They produced a series of photographs of Sitting Bull and his band of Sioux Indians imprisoned at Fort Randall in 1882. It is possible that Bailey, Dix & Mead commissioned photographer William R. Cross from Hot Springs, D.T., to create the photographic series.

https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv367418