The two of us have officially had our minds blown. As a part of today’s 1 PM tour of New Harmony, Indiana beginning at The Atheneum Visitors Center, we were able to visit the Maximilian-Bodmer Exhibit which tells the story of a German naturalist and a Swiss artist that followed the route of Lewis & Clark’s 1803-1806 Expedition. Fascinated by the findings of the Corps of Discovery, Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied employed artist Karl Bodmer to accompany him on his own foray across the American West in 1832-1834 to paint a record of the scenes, species, and peoples they encountered. Up until this moment, the two of us had no knowledge of this body of work, of Maximilian’s journals or Bodmer’s paintings but we are now in awe of the the incredible value of having a record of the natural environment and cultural history in that brief moment of time shortly after first contact. Bodmer’s depictions of Native Americans are incredibly detailed and respectful. We are particularly fascinated with the images of the Mandan who just a few years later were all but totally wiped out by two smallpox epidemics. Even the Indians of the American West respect and are grateful for this work. Under the auspices of the University of Southern Indiana, this collection is open to the public only as the third stop on the once daily tour, and only for an incredibly brief twenty minutes. Back at the visitors center we purchased a copy of the book Karl Bodmer’s Eastern Views and in the process learned that there is an impressive collection of his work at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska. Guess who now has that institution on their Places to Visit List!
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