Rob, my comment is a brief one this time, because this striking colorization work isn't in need for that much words.
Excellent choice of colors so enhancing the impressiveness of this portrait of Chief Wolf Robe.
S+F instantly. Thanks for sharing this masterpiece, my friend!

Excellent Rob, I too have this faved! tigs=^..^=

The profile of the Native American chief on the obverse side of the buffalo nickel was not a portrait of any one man. James Earle Fraser, the sculptor who designed the coin, always said that the head was a composite--a type, not a portrait. However, there were three Native American chiefs in particular who sat as models for Fraser. Cheyenne chief Two Moons was the most controversial of the chiefs because he had participated in the Battle of Little Big Horn less than forty years earlier. John Big Tree, of the Seneca Nation, became an actor later in life, appearing in almost sixty movies (including some that are still well-known today, such as "Stagecoach" and "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon"). The third, Iron Tail, an Oglala Lakota chief, was one of the most famous Native Americans of the late 1800's and early 1900's. He was a performer in Buffalo Bill's Wild West shows and was frequently photographed in costume. As for posing for photographers, many prominent Native Americans at that time made a fair living at it. Hunkpapa Lakota holy man and chief, Sitting Bull, was from my neck of the woods and, after his surrender, would pose for photos for one dollar, roughly $25 today. Here in North Dakota, the profile of an Indian man wearing a headdress has been part of the Highway Patrol logo and the background of North Dakota state highway signs for years. In that case, the model was one man, Marcellus Red Tomahawk, who, incidentally, was one of the Indian policemen tasked with arresting Sitting Bull on December 15, 1890, and was the officer who ultimately shot and killed the chief. As I have seen many more Indian artifacts in my career than most people, not just at Caedes, I'm not certain the purple would have been used in this manner, colors having very specific meanings to Native people in those days (and possibly still do to certain tribes and individuals). The five main colors for the Cheyenne were white: (tsevo'komo) active life, dancing; yellow: (tseheovo) new life, beauty; red: (tsema'o) warmth; blue: (tseota'tavo) sky, water; and black: (tsemo'kohtavo) death, hatred. The color purple was seen as a sacred color and symbolised power, mystery and magic. If that was the image that Wolf Robe wished to project for his portraits, then purple would have been appropriate; it simply depends on the individual. For my own experience with the colors of the northern tribes, purple is quite rare (for the first edition of a small book about Sitting Bull, in my newbee ignorance of color meanings, I chose red as the field color on the cover... a big mistake, as it turned out; red to the Sioux meant "death").

-Nik

.....I'm not certain the purple would have been used in this manner, colors having very specific meanings to Native people in those days (and possibly still do to certain tribes and individuals). The five main colors for the Cheyenne were white: (tsevo'komo) active life, dancing; yellow: (tseheovo) new life, beauty; red: (tsema'o) warmth; blue: (tseota'tavo) sky, water; and black: (tsemo'kohtavo) death, hatred. The color purple was seen as a sacred color and symbolised power....

Huuuuummmm.....the color? as I mostly look to the graytones for the colors I started with blue and change to purple seemed to fit better. But looks like this is up to debat any other input is welcome. If another color is chosen (Its history so lets get it right) I will post as a rework it is a minor change as I save all my files.

Rob

What a great piece of history this is! Most people think of the Seminoles Indians when they think of Florida. They are actually new comers, arriving here in the early 1800's. The paleo-Indians, those who were here for thousands of years were the Caloosa, Timicuian, etc. Evidence of them is found all around the area I current live and Lettuce Lake especially.

Well I have no knowledge of the colors so cannot offer an informed opinion on that...perhaps red or blue would be more fitting?...idk...maybe not red as Nik said it means 'death'...anyhow, a fascinating old photo which I think you did a great job on the coloring.

Your choice of color is one of the best parts of your work. Always done just right. This is another good example.

Wowser, this is Spectacular and the colouring is perfect - right into my favs

Rob I love this photograph you reworked ,such a great desktop, an favorite for me, Very well done

Wow - look at the character in the chief's face - the Gerhard Sisters did and excellent job - the medal and peacepipe really add to his portrait and, of course, your colorization is spectacular - Excellent work my friend!!!!!!!!!!!