I´m proud to show you my little library about Native Americans I have been slowly gathering for many years, long before I started sculpting (but suddenly faster as I started thinking about sculpting some historical minis ;-) ).
Several years ago, I was an Ph-D student spending hours looking for sources at public libraries...that age is long gone, my project never finished, but I learned a lot about searching and getting useful bibliography. So as I decided to start this project, back in 2015, I was lucky enough of getting two of the main books on this subject, that have most inspired and helped me while doing this: Josephine Paterek, Encyclopaedia of American Indian Costume, and T.E. Mails, The Mystic warriors of the Plains.
These two, along with Curtis´ pictures and Bodmer and Catlin´s paintings are not only my favourites but also really helpful as sources for Native Americans´appearance. I have come to read from them almost every day I work on the miniatures (planing or sculpting)!
Some cultural dissemination´s works are very useful because they have a lot of photos or paintings (Bodmer´s, Catlin´s or Miller´s, for instance) with way more quality as their internets´counterpart, what is very useful! Besides, for me it´s handier since I don´t have internet at home ;-) I specially like german historical magazines for it (GEO-Epoche) because they also have a high scientific standard IMHO so the articles are really worth reading.
The book on the left side, down, (La Ilusión del Lejano Oeste) is a catalogue from the exhibition the Thyssen Museum from Madrid organized about the "Far West" and all related to it, witch included some original paintings from both Bodmer and Catlin, and some warshirts, warbonnets and more regalia aswell. I went to the exhibition but it was closed so I came back with a book, instead...
The book above it is the result of my visit to the Museo de América from Madrid...It seems I cannot visit a Museum without getting a book about the Plains and their inhabitants :-P
The book above it is the result of my visit to the Museo de América from Madrid...It seems I cannot visit a Museum without getting a book about the Plains and their inhabitants :-P
...I even got a little manual about learning Lakota, back in 2005!
I think I missed doing some research and that´s what really moved me to doing historical minis. It simply makes me happy to investigate who wore what when ;-) It´s tricky, because it´s very easy to forget (or simply not know) something important (I´m really a perfectionist so I ponder everything forever) and sometimes I think I´d get crazy for reading contradictory information, or when I realize that the things I believed to know are a bit more complicated...again! But it´s funny and I guess that´s the way of learning. I know I still have to learn a lot about this subject but the path of knowledge has been delicious until now :-)
And now, it´s time to get some new books!
And now, it´s time to get some new books!
Cheers!
What a wonderful collection of books. I have a much smaller collection on the same subject matter (no Opsreys due to their price) and mine too date back many years. I'd suggest looking for the old "Time Life Old West series", the two pertinent ones being "The Chiefs" and "the Indians" ( I have the full set).
ReplyDeleteThank you and thanks for the tip! I´ll look for these books! :-)
DeleteI have recently ordered the two volumens of Catlins´account of his experiences visiting the Plains peoples, I can hardly wait!
I only buy Ospreys during Black Friday or when they have special offers ;-)
I completely agree with your Osprey strategy!
DeleteAnother book really value is "Red Man's America", probably long out of print )the author's name is, I think Ruth M. Underhill.
Thank you for the advice :-) I´ll see if I find it :-)
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