Tribal times Karl Bodmer, "The American Indian" provides a rare and privileged look at Native American life and customs before the invention of photography. Extensive travels, from 1832 to 1834, conducted by Maximilian Prince of Wied and Swiss painter Karl Bodmer through the inner Parts of North America resulted in the publication, in 1839, of the first book to present paintings and descriptions of Native American life in skilled, painstaking detail. The sumptuous pictures reprinted here, depicting battle scenes, landscapes, portraits, and still lifes, are taken from an extremely rare, hand-colored copy of the original publication. Excerpts from Wied`s journals serve as keys to the multitude of details contained within each image, giving historical information about the rituals, clothes, and tools of the Native Americans, including well-known figures such as Mato-Tope. An introduction by anthropologist Sonja Schierle brings the book into a contemporary perspective. Since most of us will never have the opportunity to see Wied and Bodmer`s marvelous original publication, Taschen brings you the next best thing - a reproduction of impeccable quality and consideration, for anyone and everyone to study and enjoy.