One of the most feared and respected Native American warriors of the late 19th century. A Hunkpapa Lakota, he was born in about 1835. His name is thought to have come from an incident when, as a young brave, he was fighting with another boy. The fight was fierce and his face became spattered with blood–so badly, it looked like rain on his face, or Itonagaju. He has often been linked to the death of General George Custer at his defeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn in Montana in 1876. There is much argument about who actually killed Custer, known to the Lakota as the Long-Haired Chief. The general's wife believed that Rain-in-the-Face dealt the death blow and the American poet Longfellow wrote about his deeds in ‘The Revenge of Rain in the Face.’ Exceptional original 6.25 x 9.25 silver print portrait of Rain-in-the-Face, a Winchester rifle in his lap, posing with photographer David F. Barry, housed in its original 9.5 x 14 Barry Studio mat. Image bears a Barry stamp, with two Barry stamps on the mat. Reverse of the mat bears a Barry Studio label. In fine condition, with a clipped image of Barry affixed to mat at a later time. Image originates from Barry’s personal collection. RR Auction COA.
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