The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 24, 2025

Plate 657: Walter Ross-Wichita

1927
(American, 1868–1952)
Overall: 43.2 x 35.6 cm (17 x 14 in.)
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

A reservation was established for the Wichita people in 1855, but in 1900 that land was opened to white settlement, destroying the Wichita’s communal way of life.

Description

Even after losing their reservation in 1900, the Wichita preserved many elements of their culture. Farming and hunting had been essential elements of Plains life. Among the important crops were pumpkins and corn, which was dried, then ground into cornmeal used to make bread. Walter Ross, who Edward S. Curtis identified as a successful corn farmer, posed for two photographs: this straightforward portrait, and another done in profile.
  • ?-2022
    Dr. Terence D. Isakov and Joyce Isakov, Moreland Hills, OH, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
    December 5, 2022-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=Plate 657: Walter Ross-Wichita|url=false|author=Edward S. Curtis|year=1927|access-date=24 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022.301