In the early 20th century, Davis commissioned an art student, Florence Harris, to travel to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., to create reproductions of famous paintings by George Catlin. These paintings were a series of 19th century portraits depicting various Kickapoo leaders from Central Illinois.

Catlin was renowned for his work documenting and representing Indigenous groups of the 19th century, and more than 70 years later, Davis sought to bring a piece of that history back to Bloomington. His decision to commission these replicas not only preserved a connection to the region’s Native American history, but also provided an opportunity for an emerging artist to showcase her talents.

The process of selecting the portraits and finding an artist was meticulous, spanning almost eight months. While the funding for the portrait replicas came from George Perrin Davis, the artist was selected by the then-executive director of the McLean County Historical Society, E.M. Prince, and Edmund Messer, the principal of the Corcoran School of Art. Their goal was to ensure that the replicas were faithful to Catlin’s original works, maintaining both their artistic integrity and historical significance.

Little is known about the artist Florence Elizabeth Harris. Most of what we know about her comes from her works preserved at the McLean County museum. Harris attended the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C., an unusual career path for a woman of her time. The Corcoran School was known for its rigorous training, and Harris’s attendance there suggests she was a determined and skilled artist.

It is unclear why Prince and Messer chose to hire a woman for this project when male artists were often considered more common choices during that era. However, their decision may have been influenced by Harris’ achievement at the Corcoran Annual Medal Presentation, where she received a silver medal for her portrait work, awarded by Messer himself.

Richard Rathbun, the acting secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, praised Harris’s replicas, stating, “The copies of the portraits made by Miss Florence Harris are considered to be excellent representations, both in drawing and color.” This endorsement speaks to the quality of Harris’s work and the confidence others had in her ability to faithfully replicate Catlin’s masterpieces.

The original artist of these portraits, George Catlin, was born in 1796 in Pennsylvania. He was an American painter and traveler renowned for his portraits of Native Americans and the American frontier. His body of work is considered one of the most extensive records of Indigenous peoples from the 1800s, created with the goal of preserving a record of Native American customs and individuals.

Catlin compiled more than 400 paintings into a single collection called the “Indian Gallery,” which was donated to the Smithsonian years after his death in 1872. His works are revered for their detailed depictions of traditional clothing, hairstyles and jewelry, all representative of the specific nations to which the subjects belonged.

Catlin’s unique approach to these portraits was a more wholistic depiction of his subjects versus other artists of the time who often portrayed Native Americans in ways that confirmed societal preconceived notions of incivility.

Catlin had a deep appreciation for Indigenous people, writing, “(They) had been invaded, their morals corrupted, their lands wrested from them, their customs changed, and therefore lost to the world.”

This perspective was uncommon in the 1830s and formed the foundation of his works. However, modern critics have noted that while Catlin’s intentions were commendable, he occasionally exploited his Indigenous subjects, perpetuating the “noble savage” stereotype, which framed Native Americans as “other” in Euro-American narratives.

Despite these criticisms, Catlin’s works remain a vital record of Native American history and customs.

The Kickapoo people, whose leaders are depicted in the Catlin portraits, have a deep connection to the Bloomington, Illinois, area. The Kickapoo were among the Indigenous groups who lived on and cared for the land that would become McLean County long before European settlers arrived.

Their forced removal in the early 19th century marked a significant and painful chapter in the region’s history. The Harris replicas honor this connection by preserving the faces and stories of those who once called this area home.

The portraits of She-Nah-Mee (a Kickapoo woman c. 1830), Ahtonwetuk (a Kickapoo man), Ahteewatomee (a Kickapoo woman), Masheena (a Kickapoo man), and Ke-an-ne-keuk (a Kickapoo chief) provide a tangible link to the Kickapoo’s enduring legacy.

The Harris replicas of these portraits are among many pieces currently in the care of the McLean County Museum of History. These paintings serve as a bridge between Catlin’s original works and the local history of McLean County, offering a unique perspective on how national narratives intersect with regional heritage. The museum remains committed to preserving these artworks for future generations through community donations and grant funding.

Currently, the Harris portraits are undergoing detailed processing as part of the museum’s Art Storage Grant funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This grant aims to enhance the preservation and accessibility of the museum’s art collection.

By 2026, these portraits, along with the rest of the museum’s art collection, will be accessible through the museum’s online object database. This effort not only ensures the physical safety of these works but also broadens their reach, allowing researchers, students and the general public to engage with them digitally.