I collect many things and have done so for 45 of my 49 years. One of the things that I collect is Native American photography. I was always interested in pre-Curtis, 19th century albumen photos of chiefs and delegations. One item high on my hit list was a famous photograph of Geronimo talking peace with General Crook in the mid 1880's. It is a classic photograph taken by an important Tombstone, Arizona photographer named Camillus Fly.

Interesting historically because soon after the photo was taken, Geronimo changed his mind about surrender and went on the warpath again. Therefore the series of photos taken that day are amongst the very few ever taken of Indians still on the warpath. One day the image came up at an auction and I was determined to get it and indeed did get it.

I was obviously delighted with this outcome. But I wanted to celebrate in an unusual style. I went to my private library and looked through well over a dozen books containing reproductions of famous Native American photographs. Of course, I came across my new found treasure several times. As I looked at many other photos, I silently asked myself what other image would I have wanted more at that time than the one that I had just acquired. One image that I saw really caught my eye momentarily. It was of Sitting Bull, Red Cloud and another important chief with a buckskin clad interpreter.

I told myself that if I had to make a choice between the one in the book and the one that I had just purchased it would be a tough call. Later, I resumed other activities and then forgot all about both photos. Several days later, I received a phone call from a dealer in rare photography. He knew what I liked and thought that his latest acquisition would be right up my alley. It sounded great and so I made an appointment to view it later that week. I hung up the phone and then I got chills.I realized that he had just described the photo that had stuck in my head only days earlier. I would not have to make a choice. That week I got both of them.