Cradleboard Collection

Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Naples, 1860. Creator: Unknown
Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Naples, 1860. Italians in regional costume....our Artist has made a picturesque grouping of some of the inhabitants of the kingdom of Naples

Indians, American - Child, 1916. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Indians, American - Child, 1916. Creator: Harris & Ewing
Indians, American - Child, 1916. Native American girl wearing dress with applique decoration. The object at left may be a cradle board with doll attached

Flathead mother, c1910. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Flathead mother, c1910. Flathead woman standing by tree holding baby in cradleboard in front of her

Apache girl and papoose, c1903. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Apache girl and papoose, c1903

A pretty group at an Indian tent, 1891. Creator: John C. H. Grabill
A pretty group at an Indian tent, 1891. Four Lakota women standing, three holding infants in cradleboards, and a Lakota man on horseback, in front of a tipi, probably on or near Pine Ridge Reservation

The International Exhibition: "Fisherman's Hut in Lapland", by J. F. Hockert, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The International Exhibition: "Fisherman's Hut in Lapland", by J. F. Hockert, 1862....in all probability this fisherman

Mizheh and babe, c1906. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Mizheh and babe, c1906. Apache woman, at base of tree, holding infant in cradleboard in her lap

The cornfield, c1906. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
The cornfield, c1906. Apache woman hoeing rows of corn with an infant in a cradleboard with large visor on her back

Mother and child-Apsaroke, c1908. Creator: Edward Sheriff Curtis
Mother and child-Apsaroke, c1908. Portrait of a woman, half-length, seated, facing right, holding baby in beaded cradleboard

Mother and child, Apsaroke, c. 1908 (b / w photo)
BAL145783 Mother and child, Apsaroke, c.1908 (b/w photo) by Curtis, Edward Sheriff (1868-1952); Private Collection

Ojibwa mother and baby, c. 1821 (colour litho)
PNP246200 Ojibwa mother and baby, c.1821 (colour litho) by American School, (19th century); Private Collection; Peter Newark American Pictures; American, out of copyright

Navajo weavers, c. 1914 (b / w photo)
BAL145761 Navajo weavers, c.1914 (b/w photo) by Carpenter, William J. (b.1861); Private Collection; American, out of copyright

Navaho woman carrying a papoose on her back, c. 1914 (b / w photo)
BAL144988 Navaho woman carrying a papoose on her back, c.1914 (b/w photo) by Carpenter, William J. (b.1861); Private Collection; American, out of copyright

Chinook family
Chinook tribe, showing a man and woman carrying their baby on the mothers back, a method of flattening the babies forehead was used

TRADING POST, 1875. Native Americans at a frontier trading post. Wood engraving, American, 1875

CRADLEBOARDS, 1916. Native American, possibly Apache, babies in cradleboards. Photograph, 1916

REMINGTON: NAVAJO, 1890. The Navajo Indians. Drawings by Frederic Remington after photographs by Wittick and Son, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1890

COLVILLE WOMAN & CHILD, 1861. A Colville Native American woman holding an infant in a cradleboard, present-day northeast Washington State. Photographed in 1861

UTE FAMILY, c1899. Ute Chief Severo and his family. Photograph, c1899

UTE WOMAN AND BABY, c1899. A Ute woman with a baby on a cradleboard, from the western United States. Photograph, c1899

UTE CHILDREN, c1874. A Ute child with a baby, in Utah. Photograph by John K. Hillers, c1874

APACHE WOMAN, 1873. An Apache woman with a baby in a cradleboard. Photographed during an expedition led by Lieutenant George M. Wheeler, 1873

APACHE FAMILY, c1903. An Apache man, woman and an infant in a cradleboard, seated outside a dwelling. Photograph by Edward Curtis, c1903

APACHE GROUP, c1909. A group of Apache women and children in front of their thatched huts. Photograph, c1909

APACHE WOMAN & CHILD, c1906. An Apache woman holding an infant in a cradleboard. Photograph by Edward Curtis, c1906

CATLIN: IROQUOIS MOTHER. Che-Ah-Ka-Tchee, an Iroquois woman, holding her child in a cradleboard. Oil on canvas, 1835-6, by George Catlin

An Apache infant in cradleboard, c1903. Photograph by Edward Curtis (1868-1952)

APACHE INFANT, c1903. An Apache infant in a cradleboard. Photograph by Edward Curtis, c1903

NAVAJO WEAVERS, c1914. Three Navajo women weaving with a flock of sheep on a ledge above, and an infant in a cradleboard in the southwestern United States. Photograph, c1914

NORTHWEST NATIVE AMERICANS, c1902. Native American woman of the Pacific Northwest holding an infant in a cradleboard. Photographed by Lily E. White, c1902

NAVAJO WOMAN & CHILD, c1866. A Navajo woman with an infant on her back. Photograph by John Gaw Meem, c1866

NATI2A-00159
Group of Sioux babies in cradleboards amusing themselves. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

NATI2A-00095
Native Americans of the Flathead tribe flattening a babys head in a cradleboard. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

HSET2A-00103
Traders and soldiers in the sutlers store at Fort Dodge, Kansas, 1860s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

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"Cradleboards: A Timeless Bond Between Mother and Child" In a world where love transcends time, the cradleboard stands as a symbol of maternal devotion and cultural heritage. Through captivating photographs spanning decades, we catch glimpses into the lives of Native American families who embraced this traditional practice. Apsaroke, Ojibwa, Navajo, Chinook - diverse tribes united by their reverence for the cradleboard. In a striking black and white photo from 1908, an Apsaroke mother tenderly holds her child close in this protective cocoon. The color lithograph from 1821 showcases an Ojibwa mother's vibrant attire as she cherishes her baby nestled within the cradleboard. Navajo weavers captured in a timeless black and white image from 1914 demonstrate their skillful craftsmanship while simultaneously embracing their little ones secured to their backs with these cherished boards. Another photograph portrays a proud Navaho woman carrying her papoose on her back during that same era. Traveling back further in time to 1875 at a frontier trading post, Native Americans gather together - perhaps exchanging stories about the significance of these cradleboards in their cultures. Meanwhile, an enchanting photograph from 1916 reveals Apache babies peacefully resting within these wooden cocoons. The renowned artist Remington immortalizes Navajo Indians through his artwork dating back to 1890; showcasing both strength and vulnerability within one frame. An endearing image captured in 1861 depicts a Colville Native American woman gently holding an infant swaddled snugly inside a cradleboard. Ute Chief Severo's family radiates pride and unity in c1899 as they pose for a photograph with him at its center. And not far away, another Ute woman lovingly carries her baby on a cradleboard across rugged terrain during that same period.