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Biography
Roland Reed, born in Omro, Wisconsin, lived with his family in a log cabin near an old Native American trail. Living here was very inspirational to Reed and he keenly observed his surroundings. Indeed, his childhood hero was a Native American named Thundercloud who was a chief of the Menominee Tribe. As a teenager, Reed worked in Canada side-by-side with Native Americans on the railroad. By 1890, taking a crayon or pencil and paper he began to record what he saw.
Reed worked with a Civil War veteran who introduced him to Photography, and he apprenticed in Havre, Montana with Daniel Dutro in 1893. Subsequently, it became his passion to show the life and culture of Native Americans which was gradually being wiped out. He would take many photos of the tribes, not of reservation-ravaged people, but of the proud individuals, community and culture he grew up with. He also photographed the Alaskan Gold Rush in 1897 for the Associated Press.
Reed opened two studios in Montana and Minnesota which garnered him some success. Indeed, one of his photos, The Pottery Maker even won him a gold medal at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exhibition in San Francisco.
Reed’s main focus and passion was always with the Native Americans. With his photographs he wanted to create a book of Native American life. This dream was never realized, although he did contribute to other literature of the time, notably National Geographic and a book by Agnes Laut called Enchanted Tales of Glacier. Most of his work remained unseen until many of his negatives were found after his death by relatives in 1934. Today, his photographs are revered for their glorious portraits of Native American life and are known for their atmosphere, composition and authenticity to their subject matter.