David Rodocker (October 13, 1840 – July 29, 1919) was an American photographer active in

Champaign, Illinois Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metrop ...

in the 1860s, Winfield,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...

, 1871–1919, and traveling through Black Hills, 1877.

Early years

Born in

Ashland County, Ohio Ashland County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,447. Its county seat is Ashland. The county is named for " Ashland", the home of Senator Henry Clay nea ...

, in 1840, David Rodocker opened his first photography studio in Champaign,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...

. He moved to

Winfield, Kansas Winfield is a city and county seat of Cowley County, Kansas, United States. It is situated along the Walnut River in South Central Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,777. It is home to Southwestern College. Hi ...

, in late 1870 where he opened a studio by the following year.

Black Hills visit

In January 1877, Rodocker sold his Winfield studio and took his camera on the road to the Black Hills, spending the summer producing views of the mines and mining towns. He departed the Black Hills in October 1877, apparently heading south and passing through the

Red Cloud Agency The Red Cloud Agency was an Indian agency for the Oglala Lakota as well as the Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho, from 1871 to 1878. It was located at three different sites in Wyoming Territory and Nebraska before being moved to South Dakota. It ...

in northwestern

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the so ...

where he produced several additional photographs. He arrived about a month after the death of

Crazy Horse Crazy Horse ( lkt, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, italic=no, , ; 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band in the 19th century. He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight against encroachment by ...

so he could not have produced a portrait of the famed

Oglala Sioux The Oglala (pronounced , meaning "to scatter one's own" in Lakota language) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota, make up the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A majority of the Oglala live ...

war leader.

Later years

Rodocker traveled to Chicago where he purchased new equipment and made arrangements with publisher L. M. Melander to market and sell his views. Melander produced a series called "Views of the Black Hills Mining Country and in the Sioux Indian Country", a set of 79 stereoviews. Rodocker returned to Winfield, Kansas, in November 1877 and reopened his studio. "He brings with him many beautiful stereoscopic views of the mountains, peaks, hills, gulches, claims, camps, and towns in the gold region," the local newspaper reported. "He says he will return to the Hills about next Centennial." Rodocker did return to the Black Hills briefly in 1880, but continued to operate his Winfield studio. He later worked for the government as a photographer, returning to Winfield in 1894. Rodocker died in 1919 but his wife and daughter continued to operate the studio until 1925.

Noted works

*Cabinet Card of Chief White Shield and Family, Southern Cheyenne *Indian Village near the Red Cloud Agency *Red Cloud Agency *Studio portrait of Geronimo (Goyathlay, ca. 1825-1909)

Bibliography

* Ephriam D. Dickson III, "Capturing the

Lakota Lakota may refer to: * Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: *Lakota, Iowa *Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County *Lakot ...

Spirit: Photographers at the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Agencies," ''Nebraska History'', vol. 88 no. 1 & 2 (Spring-Summer 2007) pp. 2–25

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodocker, David 19th-century American photographers 1840 births 1919 deaths Photographers from Illinois Photographers from Kansas People from Champaign, Illinois 20th-century American photographers People from Ashland County, Ohio People from Winfield, Kansas