Carlisle Indian Industrial School – Photo Collection
Note: More information on the Carlisle Indian School collection held at CCHS can be found at carlisleindian.historicalsociety.com
The CCHS photo collection is one of the largest in the country consisting of over 4,000 images. It houses photos of individual students, staff, graduating classes, sports teams and students engaged in other extra-curricular activities. A large part of the collection includes photos used for advertisements, documentation, recruitment purposes, and as premiums for subscriptions to school publications. These include images of the school grounds, classrooms, and industrial facilities. There are also sets of before-and-after photos of students upon arrival to the school in traditional regalia and then again a few months later wearing “civilized” clothes and short haircuts. These images were meant to illustrate the progression of the students’ journeys from their home reservations into “civilization.”
Choate Photos of Carlisle Indian School Students/Visitors – By Nation (pdf):
This index includes photos of students and visitors that are found in the three Choate Albums, the Choate cabinet size cards, and the Choate Boudoir size cards, that are housed in the Photo Archives of the Cumberland County Historical Society
Jim Thorpe Photo Index (pdf)
Specific collections include:
Indian School Collection (artificial collection), 1879-1918 – 55 inches 11 document cases; 33 linear feet 2 flat oversized boxes
Choate Album Collection, 1879-1902 – 35 inches 8 document cases (3 albums)
Choate created three albums of 1,241 albumen prints showing CIIS personnel, students, activities and grounds.
Choate Boudoir Size, late 1870s – 6 inches 1 document case
Choate Cabinet Card Size, c1879-1885 – 6 inches 1document case
The boudoir and cabinet card images are predominantly images of students and visiting family members taken in a studio setting.
Diffenderfer Lantern Slide Collection, c1900 – 12 inches 2 cases
Collection of 105 glass lantern slides, of Indians and the Carlisle Indian School. These slides were used by Rev. George M. Diffenderfer to recruit students in the west for the Carlisle Indian School.
Hutchinson Collection, c1880-1905 – 5 inches 1 document case
John J. Hutchinson worked at Carlisle Barracks during WWII and afterwards. The items in this collection were discarded at the Barracks c. 1950 and saved by Mr. Hutchinson. They were kept in the attic for many years and later used by some of the family members.
Johnston Collection, 1902 – 10 inches 2 document cases
Photographer: Frances Benjamin Johnston. Images are views of the Carlisle Indian School, classrooms, and activities.
Hugh Miller Collection, c1900-1918 – 5 inches 1 document case
When Hugh Miller was a young man he was playing in the old Carlisle dump (along Route 34 near present day Route 81) and found a box full of discarded photos and papers.
Noaker Collection, 1951 – 5 inches 1 document case
Pictures from when Jim Thorpe returned to Carlisle for the film premier of Jim Thorpe All American.
Peter/Zeigler/Hathaway Collections, c1890-1910 – 5 inches 1 document case
Three different collections are currently housed in this box:
Fannie Irene Peter (1870-1955) a great-aunt of the donor. Fannie was a teacher at the Carlisle Indian School from about 1896 to 1904.
Some of these items were purchased at the Milton Zeigler auction. Mr. Zeigler taught in the Harness shop.
Lelah May (Burns) Hathaway was a teacher at the CIIS in the 1910s. She married Louis Hathaway, who was a disciplinarian at the school. The announcement of their wedding is in the “Carlisle Arrow,” vol. II, no. 1 (Sept. 4, 1914).
Potamkin Collection, 1879-1880 – 5 inches 1 document case
70 glass wet plate negatives, study prints, and permanent prints of portraits of CIIS students, groups and individuals of which 40 are stereoviews. Images taken by John Choate.
Steckbeck Collection, c1890-1955 -15 inches 3 cases
Collection of photographs collected by author of the Fabulous Redmen, the Carlisle Indians and their famous football teams, John Steckbeck. Many of the images deal with the school’s athletic program and athletes.
Everett Strong Collection, c1900-1915 – 5 inches 1 document case
Mr. Strong was a photographer and a musician. He played trumpet and Mrs. Strong played the trombone and piano. They resided at the Indian Industrial School at Carlisle, PA in 1908 and 1909, where they worked in the photography studio and where they were also involved with the band chorus.
Winneshiek Collection, c1898-1929 – 5 inches 1 case
Photo album compiled by William Winneshiek containing identified photos of the Carlisle Indian School (multiple subjects) and the Oorang All Indian football team. Winneshiek’s scrapbook contains his comments by many of the images. Winneshiek was a student at the Carlisle Indian School (1911- c. 1915) and played on the football team. The CIS photos date from c. 1910 to 1918. He was later a football coach at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa. In the 1930s he had a band known as Chief Winneshiek’s All Indian Band.
Yuda Collection, c1905-1942 – 5 inches 1 case
Scrapbook of photos and newspaper clippings etc. related to the Carlisle Indian Schol that was made by Montreville Yuda, a student at the school.