George Catlin
¥George
Catlin (July
26, 1796 - December 23, 1872) was an American painter, author and
traveler who specialized in portraits of Native Americans in the Old West. He was born in
Wilkes-Barre, PA. Following a brief career as a lawyer, he produced two major
collections of paintings of American Indians and published a series of books chronicling
his travels among the native peoples of North, Central and South America.
Claiming his interest in AmericaÕs
'vanishing race' was sparked by a visiting American Indian delegation in
È
Philadelphia, he set out to record the appearance
and customs of AmericaÕs native
people.
