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Very Rare First American Edition.
This rare lithograph, titled Wounded Buffalo Bull, is from James Ackerman’s celebrated 1845 New York edition of George Catlin’s North American Indian Portfolio. The artwork presents a poignant moment on the frozen plains, where a solitary buffalo, visibly weakened and bloodied, stands in stark defiance. Blood drips from multiple wounds, emphasizing both the animal’s strength and vulnerability. The desolate winter landscape, with snow-covered foliage and distant bison lying in the background, enhances the sense of isolation and endurance.
Catlin’s composition draws the viewer into the harsh realities of life on the Great Plains, showcasing the survival challenges faced by the iconic buffalo. His detailed and empathetic rendering of the scene underscores the importance he placed on documenting the wildlife and environment of the American West before its transformation.
James Ackerman's 1845 Catlin North American Indian Portfolio.
"This book is of the most excessive rarity and worth several times the value of the more common British printing." - Bennett, page 27
The 1845 "pirate" New York edition of Catlin's North American Indian Portfolio is one of the great American color plate books, especially relating to Native American Indians and the West. James Ackerman intended it to show that American lithographers were every bit the equal of their London counterparts, whom Catlin had chosen to publish the first edition of his magnum opus in 1844.
Ackerman's images are different, and to many eyes superior, to those in the 1844 London first edition.
Bennett's Practical Guide to American 19th Century Color Plate Books (page 22) calls the coloring "superb."
Reese, in Stamped with a National Character (25), says:
Originally published in London in 1844, this New York 1845 edition was pirated from the English original, evidently without Catlin's knowledge or consent. Not only did the publisher and lithographer, James Ackerman, undersell the author's own edition; he had the cheek to write a preface which criticized Catlin for not publishing the work in the United States, followed by a manifesto proclaiming the ability of American craftsmen to equal the quality of Old World productions. The portfolio was available tinted, colored on paper, or colored mounted on card.
Reese located only thirteen copies of all three New York issues.
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