This Photo Isn’t What It Looks Like | The Bigger Picture with Vincent Brown | PBS

Host Vincent Brown challenges a common assumption about a photo of ethnographer Frances Densmore and Piegan Blackfeet tribe leader Mountain Chief: that Densmore is recording a “dying culture.” Brown visits the Library of Congress to hear an original recording of Mountain Chief and travels to Montana to discuss the vitality of Blackfeet culture today with artist and teacher Jesse DesRosier.

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ABOUT THE SERIES:
Images can tell powerful stories. One iconic photograph can symbolize an entire era. But if we expand the frame and examine the moment in which it was taken, a very different story can emerge. In this series of documentary shorts, Harvard University historian Dr. Vincent Brown meets with curators, photographers and other experts to challenge common assumptions about iconic American images.

THE BIGGER PICTURE is a co-production of Timestamp Media LLC and The WNET Group, in association with Harvard University’s History Design Studio at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, and Vision Maker Media.

Major funding for THE BIGGER PICTURE was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by the Anderson Family Charitable Fund, the Tamara L. Harris Foundation, the William Talbott Hillman Foundation, the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Additional funding for the digital production of THE BIGGER PICTURE was provided by Chasing the Dream – a public media initiative from The WNET Group, reporting on poverty, opportunity, and justice in America, and supported by The JPB Foundation, The Peter G. Peterson and Joan Ganz Cooney Fund and Sue and Edgar Wachenheim, III.

[lissastube]

He was my 4th great-granduncle. Thank you for doing such a great job and highlighting all the great things he did in his lifetime for all of us past and present.

[grammiesspirit]

My father’s mother was a “full-blooded”Native American of TheBlackfoot Nation. In Seeing the physical characteristics of this community, I see my father. Thank you.

[marimy]

The internet is so amazing. I'm here watching this on my mobile device listening to an audio recording 100+ years old and learning the history behind it. The thought of it gives me chills. Incredibly exciting and powerful.

[Grancoral_Bio]

This should be mandatory viewing in all schools… we need to learn so much more about real history and the culture of the First Nations

[ltlbuddha]

Something even a lot of photographers miss is that photography is NOT truth. Not in and of itself. There is always more to the story, scene, whatever than the photo can convey.

Loving this series!

[tacrewgirl]

Great mini documentary. I learned something new and historical. Thanks.

[nilsanarvaez]

❤Learned something new. Great doc and great narration.

[majesticmule-boy]

Wow this is dope! love it, keep it comin. Oh and "Otherwords" sent me

[TashaSmirnoff]

In the early 1960's there was a talent contest in Saskatchewan to appear on Bonanza. Chief Hilliard McNab's son Ivan McNab won, of George Gordon First Nation. He portrayed a chiefs son, what he was.

[Resavian]

As someone with a deep love of photography, this series is going to be amazing.

[shinetilly]

Just got caught up on this series ❤ It is so interesting. Can’t wait for the Angela Davis episode that is in the opening

[DETROIT]

The First Nation Will Never Forget .
The second nation has.

[Lucius]

Phono nerd side note: the machine Densmore is using is an Edison 'School' Phonograph, with an attachment sometimes used for home recording on this and the similar Edison 'Opera'; this may have fostered the notion that she was recording Mountain Chief. However, such an attachment would have been used (with an appropriate reproducer) for playback of softer wax cylinders.

[Big_Un]

This video featured a lot of old photographs of people and locations from history. I found them fascinating! It would be awesome if there were some background to what was shown. At the very least, links to the who/what/where of the photo, or perhaps photo credits so that viewers could do their own research. I realize this is a "big ask" and it may very well be impractical in this format, but since the topic of this video is meant to reevaluate the context of a particular photograph, it would be interesting if viewers were afforded the opportunity to discover the background of the supporting documents/photographs. Just my two cents.

[BlueBaron]

Among those trying to preserve native American culture before it vanished was probably the most complex of 20th century political figures - Barry Goldwater. Born in the Arizona Territory to a Jewish father and a Christian mother, he developed an early fascination with large format photography. And as young man he traveled to all the native enclaves of the then State of Arizona to take dignified portraits of as many native Americans as he could. Although I could never feel any political interest in Goldwater, the life of the man has long fascinated me.

[MacbethCreative]

I look forward to the next one. And, Otherwords sent me.

[kidmohair]

I am here on September 30th, the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation

[sneed]

I wish the BBC could still make decent documentaries

[zoecunningham]

Yes indeed this topic segment is fascinating. Heavier however is the reality of brutal takeover close minded one dimensional society brought upon them. Robotic thoughtfulness " you must be like minded as we to fit in." Wipe the slate of heritage, ancestry and way of life. A horrific (still uncorrected) self inflicted chunk of our history.

[MrAngel]

War parties. Mighty warrior. Hmmmm....Seems like humans are all the same. Just different weapons