Old Town Maine Three Young Penobscot Native American Girls 1920 Real Photo Postcard
This postcard features three young Native American women in studio-staged traditional attire, a common subject for commercial photography during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their garments, including beaded necklaces and feathered headbands, reflect an attempt to represent Indigenous cultural dress, often curated for broader public consumption in such portraits.
Such studio portraits emerged during a critical period in Native American history, following the "Indian Wars" and amidst governmental assimilation policies. These images, while sometimes contributing to romanticized or generalized portrayals, served as a widespread visual record of Indigenous peoples and their cultures during an era of profound societal and demographic change, circulating widely through popular media like postcards.
Such studio portraits emerged during a critical period in Native American history, following the "Indian Wars" and amidst governmental assimilation policies. These images, while sometimes contributing to romanticized or generalized portrayals, served as a widespread visual record of Indigenous peoples and their cultures during an era of profound societal and demographic change, circulating widely through popular media like postcards.
