A Very Small Boy, with a Prosthetic Hand - 1890s

This early Bowman portrait features a very small Native American boy with a prosthetic hand, standing on a wicker chair. The boy tentatively meets the eyes of the photographer, communicating both vulnerability and hope. His hand is likely made of rubber. Rubber hands were developed during the Civil War, which spurred the evolution of prosthetics due to the large number of amputees from that conflict. The new hands were flexible enough and had enough adhesion to hold small objects. -- This photo is restored and printed by Old Oregon.