1886 C.S. Fly Photo Cards
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GUEST:
Well, these photographs I received from my grandmother. They are her father's brother's photos. His name was Major General Perry Moss and he was in Tombstone, Arizona, in 1886 and helped capture Geronimo, from what I understand.
APPRAISER:
Geronimo was probably the most resilient and elusive of the Native American chieftains of his time. When everybody was resisting to go onto reservation, he was the last holdout. They called him "The tiger of the Indian nation." They gave him horrible attributions including the most hostile and the most bloodthirsty. The man was just very desperate to keep the remainder of his people off a reservation. His name, Geronimo, is actually not even his Indian name but was...
GUEST:
Oh, I didn't know that.
APPRAISER:
The translation of his Indian name was "He Who Yawns." These photographs are wonderful because they're done by Camillus Fly, who was a photographer. He was one of the primary photographers of Geronimo in captivity. The condition on your picture of Geronimo is not as good as you'd like it to be. It's a little faded. Even in this condition, it's still worth $1,500 to $2,000.
GUEST:
Oh, wow!
APPRAISER:
The cards with it which show the Funnel Canyon, which is where General Crook actually forced the Indians through into capture, is probably worth in the neighborhood of $500 to $1,000.
GUEST:
Wow!
APPRAISER:
This item, the cabinet photo with Camillus Fly's label which shows all the information of where his studio was and he also titled this. This particular one is entitled, "Group of Hostiles" in reference to Geronimo's meager following at that time, the remainder of his tribe. When you pick it up and turn to the other side you see a photograph of all the remaining tribal members that Geronimo took to the camp with him. His people were the Jicarilla Apache. And its value is $800 to $1,200 for this one alone...
GUEST:
My goodness!
APPRAISER:
Because the condition's very good.
GUEST:
Thank you.
APPRAISER:
But your family history's great and if you can keep it all together it will just only appreciate with age.
GUEST:
Oh, I appreciate it.
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