James A. Garfield, Chief of Apaches. Black and white portrait of a native american leader

James A. Garfield, Chief of Apaches is a historical black-and-white portrait depicting an Apache leader identified as James A. Garfield. Created in the documentary portrait tradition, the image focuses on the sitter’s features, attire, and presence, preserving a visual record of Indigenous life in the American Southwest. Like many nineteenth- and early twentieth-century ethnographic portraits, it serves as both a cultural document and a personal likeness, reflecting the era’s interest in recording Native American leaders and communities.

The photographer or artist responsible for this portrait is not clearly identified from the title alone. Such images were often produced by studio photographers, government survey photographers, or commercial publishers documenting Native American history. Today, portraits of Apache leaders remain valuable historical records, offering insight into Indigenous identity, leadership, and cultural heritage during a period of significant change in the American West.