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ILLUSTRATIONS BY HARRISON FISHER

from
The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Indianapolis — The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Publishers — 1906

These 69 drawings are by Harrison Fisher (1875-1934), the American illustrator hired to illustrate the 1906 Bobbs-Merrill edition of Long­fellow’s 1855 epic poem. They were digitized in 2024 from a very good copy of that edition.

These digital images have three different aspects. The 2 by 3 images are the full-page images, some in color, while the square and the 3 by 2 images are third-of-a-page or smaller images that open and close each chapter. Titles are from the book’s Table of Illustrations.

The original artwork for these images exist in private collections. The color images are characterized as watercolor, ink and pencil on 17½ x 21½ inch illustration board. The black-and-white images are pencil and charcoal on 15 x 13 inch paper.

The copyright has expired on these images—they are in the public domain. To obtain a high-definition image, click on the desired illustration on this page and—when the image fills the screen—use your browser’s “save image” function to download it.

When you use a public domain illustration, it is always good form to credit the illustrator and cite the book they were copied from. Try not to disturb the metadata embedded in each image if you edit them; the metadata contains these citations and other useful information.

Page 4: An Ojibway in Feathered Headdress.jpg
Untitled, by Harrison Fisher
(prelimn)
This is a reuse of the left half of the illustration that appears on page 181, and is not listed in the book’s Table of Illus­tra­tions.
Page 6: Minnehaha (Frontispiece)
“Minnehaha” by Harrison Fisher
(frontispiece)
Title Page decoration by E. Stetson Crawford
Decoration by E. Stetson Crawford
(title page)
All text pages are similarly decorated, but with the text printed over the decorations. Because of this, they could not be technically separated for preservation in this archive. You may notice these decorations intruding on some of the illustrations that close a chapter (for example, the image from Page 24). Care has been taken to minimize them when those digital images were color-adjusted.
Page 4, “An Explorer”
“An Explorer” by Harrison Fisher
(page 14)
This is a reuse of the right half of the illustration on that appears on page 181.
Page 15, “An Ojibway”
“An Ojibway” by Harrison Fisher
(page 15)
Page 17, “The musician, the sweet singer”
“The musician, the sweet singer” by Harrison Fisher
(page 17)
Page 19, “On the Mountains of the Prarie”
“On the Mountains of the Prarie” by Harrison Fisher
(page 19)
Page 21, “Smoked the calumet, the Peace-Pipe”
“Smoked the calumet, the Peace-Pipe” by Harrison Fisher
(page 21)
Page 24, “The Peace-Pipe”
“The Peace-Pipe by Harrison Fisher
(page 24)
Page 25, “And he loved the lonely maiden”
“And he loved the lonely maiden” by Harrison Fisher
(page 25)
Page 27, “Rose the Great Bear of the mountains”
“Rose the Great Bear of the mountains” by Harrison Fisher
(page 27)
Page 32, “He beheld her yellow tresses”
“He beheld her yellow tresses” by Harrison Fisher
(page 32)
Page 33, “Hiawatha aimed an arrow”
“Hiawatha aimed an arrow” by Harrison Fisher
(page 33)
Page 35, “All alone walked Hiawatha”
“All alone walked Hiawatha” by Harrison Fisher
(page 35)
Page 39, “Many things Nokomis taught him”
“Many things Nokomis taught him” by Harrison Fisher
(page 39)
Page 41, “Was it not to see the maiden”
“Was it not to see the maiden” by Harrison Fisher
(page 41)
Page 43, “Mudjekeewis”
“Mudjekeewis” by Harrison Fisher
(page 43)
Page 48, “See the face of Laughing Water”
“See the face of Laughing Water” by Harrison Fisher
(page 48)
Page 49, “By the river’s brink he wandered”
“By the river’s brink he wandered” by Harrison Fisher
(page 49)
Page 51, “Dead he lay there in the sunset”
“Dead he lay there in the sunset” by Harrison Fisher
(page 51)
Page 56, “Kept it clean from weeds and insects”
“Kept it clean from weeds and insects” by Harrison Fisher
(page 56)
Page 57, “All the women came to hear him”
“All the women came to hear him” by Harrison Fisher
(page 57)
Page 59, “O my little friend, the squirrel”
“O my little friend, the squirrel” by Harrison Fisher
(page 59)
A printing error placed this image at the head of the wrong chapter. It headed “Hiawatha’s Friends” and should have headed the next chapter, “Hiawatha’s Fishing.” The page number referenced here is where it was printed, not how it is listed in the Table of Illustrations.
Page 62, “Through the whirlpools chased the beaver”
“Through the whirlpools chased the beaver” by Harrison Fisher
(page 62)
Page 63, “Thus the Birch Canoe was builded”
“Thus the Birch Canoe was builded” by Harrison Fisher
(page 63)
Page 65, “Give me of your bark, O Birch-tree”
“Give me of your bark, O Birch-tree” by Harrison Fisher
(page 65)
Page 69, “At the stern sat Hiawatha”
“At the stern sat Hiawatha” by Harrison Fisher
(page 69)
Page 71, “He the best of all musicians”
“He the best of all musicians” by Harrison Fisher
(page 71)
A printing error placed this image at the head of the wrong chapter. It headed “Hiawatha’s Fishing” and should have headed the previous chapter, “Hiawatha’s Friends.” The page number referenced here is where it was printed, not how it is listed in the Table of Illustrations.
Page 75, “075 With the sea-gulls feeding on him”
“With the sea-gulls feeding on him”
Harrison Fisher’s monogram is not visible.
(page 75)
Page 77, “Lifeless lay the great Pearl-Feather”
“Lifeless lay the great Pearl-Feather” by Harrison Fisher
(page 77)
Page 79, “Sang the Mama, the wood pecker”
“Sang the Mama, the wood pecker” by Harrison Fisher
(page 79)
Page 84, “Fiercely the red sun descending”
“Fiercely the red sun descending” by Harrison Fisher
(page 84)
Page 85, “Heard the Falls of Minnehaha”
“Heard the Falls of Minnehaha” by Harrison Fisher
(page 85)
Page 87, “Wed a maiden of your people”
“Wed a maiden of your people” by Harrison Fisher
(page 87)
Page 92, “Thus it was they journeyed homeward”
“Thus it was they journeyed homeward” by Harrison Fisher
(page 92)
Page 93, “Danced his Beggar’s Dance to please them”
“Danced his Beggar’s Dance to please them” by Harrison Fisher
(page 93)
Page 95, “Hiawatha and Laughing Water”
“Hiawatha and Laughing Water” by Harrison Fisher
(page 95)
Page 99, “This marvellous story-teller”
“This marvellous story-teller” by Harrison Fisher
(page 99)
Page 101, “Yes; it is the sun descending”
“Yes; it is the sun descending” by Harrison Fisher
(page 101)
Page 103, “Tall and straight and strong and handsome”
“Tall and straight and strong and handsome” by Harrison Fisher
(page 103)
Page 107, “Then returned her youth and beauty”
“Then returned her youth and beauty” by Harrison Fisher
(page 107)
Page 113, “Unashamed and unaffrighted”
“Unashamed and unaffrighted” by Harrison Fisher
(page 113)
Page 115, “Unmolested worked the women”
“Unmolested worked the women” by Harrison Fisher
(page 115)
Page 119, “Soon they came with caw and clamor”
“Soon they came with caw and clamor” by Harrison Fisher
(page 119)
Page 121, “Painted many shapes and figures”
“Painted many shapes and figures” by Harrison Fisher
(page 121)
Page 123, “All the mysteries of painting”
“All the mysteries of painting” by Harrison Fisher
(page 123)
Page 126, “And they painted on the grave-postsd”
“And they painted on the grave-posts” by Harrison Fisher
(page 126)
Page 127, “Next the maiden on an island”
“Next the maiden on an island” by Harrison Fisher
(page 127)
Page 129, “Came, obedient to the summons”
“Came, obedient to the summons” by Harrison Fisher
(page 129)
Page 133, “In his wigwam sat lamenting”
“In his wigwam sat lamenting” by Harrison Fisher
(page 133)
Page 135, “Then he climbed the rocky headlands”
“Then he climbed the rocky headlands” by Harrison Fisher
(page 135)
Page 137, “Next the maiden on an island”
“Bearing in his arms the winnings” by Harrison Fisher
(page 137)
Page 143, “Full of black and shining faces”
“Full of black and shining faces” by Harrison Fisher
(page 143)
Page 145, “Then in swift pursuit departed”
“Then in swift pursuit departed” by Harrison Fisher
(page 145)
Page 149, “All her young and handsome suitors”
“All her young and handsome suitors” by Harrison Fisher
(page 149)
Page 155, “Twas an afternoon in Summer”
“Twas an afternoon in Summer” by Harrison Fisher
(page 155)
Page 157, “Like a blind man seated upright”
“Like a blind man seated upright” by Harrison Fisher
(page 157)
Page 159, “Raged and roared the wintry tempest”
“Raged and roared the wintry tempest” by Harrison Fisher
(page 159)
Page 161, “When the evening meal was ready”
“When the evening meal was ready” by Harrison Fisher
(page 161)
Page 163, “These are ghosts that come to haunt you”
“These are ghosts that come to haunt you” by Harrison Fisher
(page 163)
Page 167, “First a speck, and then a vulture”
“First a speck, and then a vulture” by Harrison Fisher
(page 167)
Page 169, “With both hands his face he covered”
“With both hands his face he covered” by Harrison Fisher
(page 169)
Page 171, “As if in a swoon he sat there”
“As if in a swoon he sat there” by Harrison Fisher
(page 171
Page 174, “And at night a fire was lighted”
“And at night a fire was lighted” by Harrison Fisher
(page 174)
Page 175, “Hiawatha”
“Hiawatha” by Harrison Fisher
(page 175)
Page 177, “A canoe with wings came flying”
“A canoe with wings came flying” by Harrison Fisher
(page 177)
Page 181, “Hail them as our friends and brothers”
“Hail them as our friends and brothers” by Harrison Fisher
(page 181)
Page 183, “Toward the sun his hands were lifted”
“Toward the sun his hands were lifted” by Harrison Fisher
(page 183)
Page 185, “Sailed into the fiery sunset”
“Sailed into the fiery sunset” by Harrison Fisher
(page 185)
Page 189, “From her haunts among the fenlands”
“From her haunts among the fenlands” by Harrison Fisher
(page 189)
Harrison Fisher’s Monogram
from the illustration on page 41
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The Song of Hiawatha • 2024 Online Illustrated Edition