D. Gill

D. Gill

DeLancey Walker Gill (July 1, 1859 – August 31, 1940) was an American drafter, landscape painter, and photographer known for his paintings of Washington, D.C., and his portrait photography of Native Americans with the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of American Ethnology (BAE). Gill first became noted for his landscape illustrations and watercolors, mainly centered on Washington, although also including views of Native American pueblos. Characterized as precise and exact in his landscapes, Gill captured views of working-class and rural areas of D.C. not commonly depicted in period art. Initially employed as an illustrator and draftsman, Gill was director of the Division of Illustration at the BAE from 1889 to 1932. Although not trained in photography, Gill assumed a role as the BAE's head photographer following the resignation of two of the Smithsonian's prior photographers. In this role, he produced thousands of photographs of Native American delegations for the Bureau, including notable figures such as Geronimo and Chief Joseph. Gill's photographic work was showcased in Smithsonian publications, the Panama–Pacific Exposition and on a 1923 postage stamp. His portraiture has been praised for its pictoralist qualities and strength of design. However, the Smithsonian's phrenological motivations behind the photography and the occasional use of outdated or misattributed props and clothing given to subjects have soured its reputation in contemporary scholarship.

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