National Galleries of Scotland Purchased from the estate of Sophia Finlay (Charles Finlay's Trust), 1937, Accession number: PGP HA 1202
Curatorial description (Accessed: 29 November 2018)
Born in Canada, Peter Jones' father was a Welsh-born, American immigrant and his mother was of Ojibwa Indian ancestry. He grew up as a Native-American Indian with the name 'Kahkewaquonaby', meaning sacred waving feathers. Following his father's wishes he was baptised by the Methodist church which led to his role as an Indian missionary. To fundraise he toured the United States and the United Kingdom, giving speeches and sermons to captivated audiences. He arrived in Edinburgh in July 1845 and this calotype is one of a series showing Jones in both Indian attire and western clothes. These are some of the oldest surviving photographs of a North American Indian.
