The Lost Salford Sioux
Several months ago now I had the good fortune to meet playwright Anjum Malik. Anjum was conducting research into the Native American performers who accompanied Buffalo Bill during their stay in Salford in the later 19th century. This research formed the basis of her play which was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 to celebrate the opening of the BBC North’s new premises at Salford Quays in 2011. I was able to share with Anjum some of the wonderful archival material in the Living Cultures collection related to this historical event, specifically the portrait of Oglala Lakota Chief Red Shirt as taken by Salfordian photographer C.R. Brandis.
Red Shirt, Oglala Lokota Chief, Late 19th Century, Salford, UK. The Manchester Museum Living Cultures collection, 2012.
Reverse of Red Shirt portrait showing Brandis stamp, Late 19th Century, Salford, UK. The Manchester Museum Living Cultures collection, 2012.
Excitingly the completed play will be broadcast this coming Sunday at 20:30. Anjum has kindly acknowledged the support of the Museum on the BBC Radio 3 webpage, for more information please follow the link below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0195pz0
Do tune in!
Stephen Terence Welsh
Curator of Living Cultures
This is so incredibly interesting. Isn’t it marvelous how history works?
It truly is Susie. I don’t know if you’ve managed to listen to Anjum’s play but you may still be able to catch it on the BBC website.
It’s fantastic that the objects in the Living Cultures collection can both inspire and stimulate. Using online applications like my blog the Manchester Museum can share these objects and histories with an increasing global audience.
Stephen