Nicolas Point Exhibit

French Jesuit Nicolas Point spent six years, from 1841 to 1847, as a missionary to the Salish (Flathead), Blackfeet, and Coeur d’Alene people of the Rocky Mountains. He captured his sights in dozens of drawings that provide a lasting record of American Indian and Jesuit life in the 19th century northwest.

This exhibit brings Fr. Point’s 1840s sketches to life with a guided audio tour. Each section of the exhibit features a column of four of Point’s drawings, together with brief spoken commentary and text descriptions by Liam Brew. The full audio tour lasts 15 minutes.

Begin the Online Exhibit »

Fr. Point’s original pencil sketches and watercolor drawings are conserved at the Midwest Jesuit Archives in Saint Louis, Missouri. They will be displayed in Chicago at LUMA as part of the Crossings and Dwellings Exhibition from July 19 to October 19, 2014.

Exhibit Chapters:

  1. Journey Across the Plains
  2. Arrival at the Rockies
  3. Untamed Wilderness
  4. The Land of the Flatheads
  5. Nomadic Life
  6. Christian and Native Lives Converge
  7. Institutionalized Christianity
  8. Hunting in the Frontier
  9. Nomad Movement
  10. A Family Hunt
  11. The Dangers of the Frontier
  12. Struggles to Thrive
  13. Religious Life of Ignace
  14. Crosses Throughout the Land
  15. Tensions Between Jesuits and Natives
  16. The Flathead Against the Blackfoot
  17. More Flathead, Blackfoot Battles
  18. Sudden Tribal Battles
  19. Friendly Interactions
  20. Their Lasting Influence