Floyd R. Schroeder, photographer
1937
Gelatin silver photograph
Height 10½ in. (26.7 cm), width 6¼ in. (15.9 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Cave Creek, AZ
This photograph by Floyd R. Schroeder documents a Smoki performance in Prescott, Arizona on June 13, 1937, with a caption identifying the figure as an Antelope Priest of the Smoki shown holding a snake to his mouth during the performance. The Smoki Organization was a Prescott based group active from the 1920s through 1990 that staged Native inspired public pageants and dances, most controversially including representations of Hopi snake ceremonies, and their performances were extensively documented by photographers of the period. The composition preserves specific details of costume, gesture, and presentation associated with Smoki performances in the early twentieth century.
The photograph should be understood as documentation of a historical Arizona performance culture rather than as a record of a Native ceremonial event, a distinction that is important to the object's accurate characterization and collecting context. Its value lies in the clarity of its caption, named photographer, precise date, and location, which together give the image strong documentary specificity within the history of southwestern performance and photography. From a private collection in Cave Creek, Arizona.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Floyd R. Schroeder, photographer
1937
Gelatin silver photograph
Height 10½ in. (26.7 cm), width 6¼ in. (15.9 cm)
Provenance: Private collection, Cave Creek, AZ
This photograph by Floyd R. Schroeder documents a Smoki performance in Prescott, Arizona on June 13, 1937, with a caption identifying the figure as an Antelope Priest of the Smoki shown holding a snake to his mouth during the performance. The Smoki Organization was a Prescott based group active from the 1920s through 1990 that staged Native inspired public pageants and dances, most controversially including representations of Hopi snake ceremonies, and their performances were extensively documented by photographers of the period. The composition preserves specific details of costume, gesture, and presentation associated with Smoki performances in the early twentieth century.
The photograph should be understood as documentation of a historical Arizona performance culture rather than as a record of a Native ceremonial event, a distinction that is important to the object's accurate characterization and collecting context. Its value lies in the clarity of its caption, named photographer, precise date, and location, which together give the image strong documentary specificity within the history of southwestern performance and photography. From a private collection in Cave Creek, Arizona.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
