A photographic book providing a record of the Indians of North America between 1850 and the First World War as seen by early photographers. From the first pictures, prompted by a sense of curiosity, to the later images capturing the change in the Indian way of life, these photographs document the confrontation between white and Indian cultures. The pictures, some of which have never before been published, combine with the text to provide an important history of North American Indian life. The book also traces the evolution of photographic technique of the period and includes short biographies of over 200 photographers.