York in the Lodge of the Mandans
Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
York in the Lodge of the Mandans

York in the Lodge of the Mandans

Charles Marion Russell • 1908
Medium Oil on canvas
Current Location Montana Historical Society, Helena, MT
Scene Depicted Fort Mandan, near Stanton, North Dakota

York, William Clark’s enslaved companion, in a Mandan earth lodge during the winter of 1804–05. The Mandan people, who had never seen a Black person, are fascinated by York’s appearance. One of the few historical paintings to prominently depict York, an often-overlooked member of the expedition.

Scene Location

Fort Mandan, near Stanton, North Dakota

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