McKenney and Hall, 1836-1844 - WESH-CUBB. A CHIPPEWAY CHIEF, from History of the Indian Tribes of North America - ca. 1836 - T-Shirt

This hand-colored lithograph presents a dignified, head-and-shoulders portrait of Wesh-Cubb, identified in the printed caption as a Chippeway chief.

Visual Elements & Composition

Warm cream dominates the plate, forming the ground against which the figure's tan skin and the black of his neckerchief and beaded necklace stand out. A coral-red band runs through his headdress, and the feathers rise above it in fine strokes. A white blanket is draped over his shoulders, and small blue dots are painted on his cheeks. The composition is a single vignette set within a rectangular plate, with the caption WESH-CUBB and A CHIPPEWAY CHIEF printed as the only text.

Meaning & Symbolism

The portrait comes from Thomas McKenney and James Hall's History of the Indian Tribes of North America, a multi-volume work published in the 1830s that set out to record Indigenous leaders who visited Washington, D.C. Each likeness preserves the appearance of a man who held real authority within his nation during a period of treaties, federal policy, and westward expansion. The headdress, blanket, and painted cheeks are the marks of his standing and identity, recorded at a time when those leadership structures were under immense pressure. The work reflects the paternalistic outlook of its era, yet it also keeps a visual record of Native leadership from the Jacksonian period.