Elias Bonine
American photographer (1843–1916)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elias Atkinson Bonine (c. 1843–1916) was an American photographer. Bonine was known for his portraits of 19th-century Native Americans.
Elias Bonine | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1843 |
| Died | 1916 (aged 72–73) |
| Citizenship | America |
| Occupation | Photographer |
| Known for | Native Americans |
Biography
Bonine was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in about 1843. Bonine had two brothers who were both photographers, Robert Atkinson Bonine (1836–1912) and Archibald Franklin Bonine (1846–1907).[1] He had a 1848 degree in phrenology from a school named the Professional Class in Practical Phrenology in New York City.[2]
Bonine was a prolific photographer of the indigenous peoples of North America, who he often staged in his photographs. He worked primarily in the carte-de-visite format.[3] His work differed from that of anthropologists and government survey photographers, as his intended audience was the general public.[1] He moved to California in 1876, and died in Pasadena, California in 1916.[3]
His work is included in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum,[1] the Getty Museum,[4] and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.[5]
