NICHOLAS VINCENT TSAWANHONHI, PRINCIPAL CHRISTIAN CHIEF, AND CAPTAIN OF THE HURON INDIANS...[caption title]

Book Description

[London]: Printed by C. Hullmandel, [1825].. Handcolored lithograph. In fine condition. Matted. A striking handcolored lithograph of the Huron chief, Nicholas Vincent Tsawanhonhi, drawn from an original painting by Edward Chatfield. Chief Tsawanhonhi is pictured in his native dress, as he was when presented with three other Huron chiefs to King George IV of Great Britain on April 7, 1825. Tsawanhonhi holds a piece of wampum in his right hand, and the long decorative collar bears the image of a tomahawk presented to him by the late George III. He is shown in a wilderness setting, and wears a royal gift around his neck, a large gold medal given to him by George IV. The print was executed after an original painting by Edward Chatfield (ca. 1800-39), a young and talented pupil of Benjamin Robert Haydon, and a painter of historical scenes who supplemented his income with portrait painting. The lithographer, Charles Joseph Hullmandel, was born in London in 1789 and had a noted career in Great Britain, contributing important early innovations in the process of lithography. Nicolas Vincent, called "Tsaouenhohoui" but spelled "Tsawanhonhi" on this print, was born in 1769 in Jeune-Lorette. He was the son of Louis Vincent, called "Sawantanan," and Louise Martin, also known as "Thodatowan." Tsawanhonhi was named War Chief in 1803, and went on to become Grand Chief of the Huron- Wendat Nation in 1810. During his leadership of the tribe he embarked on a long process of land claims that took him to England in 1825, where he presented the grievances of his people to King George IV. He also had to face the numerous problems caused by colonization, including logging within the borders of the lands the Hurons-Wendat needed for subsistence. Tsawanhonhi was the first Indian to speak to the members of the Assembly of Lower Canada, and at the request of colonial authorities in 1829 he drew the map known as the "Vincent Plan," identifying a portion of the hunting lands used by his compatriots. He died on Nov. 1, 1844 at the age of seventy-five. We can find only two copies of this print, one in the Winkworth Collection at the National Archives of Canada, and another at Yale. Rare and very desirable.

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