Book Design and the Native American Experience

 

Minsky indian-horros-shadow-500Indian Horrors by Henry Davenport Northrop. Unsigned cover design. Imperial, 1891

The latest work from the scholarly side of the venerable Richard Minsky is Trade Bindings with Native American Themes 1875-1933.  Minsky gathers together 120 books designed by many of the leading illustrators and book designers of the day. From kids books to captivity narratives to fiction and “fiction purporting to be truth, including a white missionary writing under a pseudonym as an Indian Chief, and a multiracial black man, son of a school janitor, writing as a pureblood Blackfoot Chief.”

minsky yosemite-legendsYosemite Legends by Bertha Smith. Cover by Florence Lundborg. Paul Elder, 1904

minsky amind-dance stepsAmerican Indian Dance Steps by Bessie Evans and May G. Evans. Unsigned cover design incorporating frontispiece by Poyege, San Ildefonso Indian. A. S. Barnes, 1931

nat am book design vanising raceThe Vanishing Race by Dr. Joseph K. Dixon (Ka-Ra-Kon-Tie ― Flying Sun ― Mohawk). Unsigned cover design.  Doubleday, Page, 1914

minsky nat am _installation-View from the exhibition

As is now customary with his curated exhibitions Minsky utilizes his book art skills to produced  stunning limited edition catalogs. 

For this exhibit he offers both a Deluxe edition of 25 copies and a Limited Edition of 100 copies.

Beautiful stuff.

More from the exhibition