Antonio Zeno Shindler (1823-1899) was a photographer and artist for the Smithsonian Institution and a benefactor of William Blackmore. He was probably born Antonio (or Antonion) Zeno in Bulgaria or Romania. He adopted the name Shindler from a patron in Geneva, Switzerland, with whom he moved to and lived with in Paris, where he studied art. While it is uncertain exactly when Shindler first arrived in the United States, he is listed in an 1852 directory for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as working as a drawing instructor. From then until 1863, he exhibited his artwork in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. In 1867, Shindler moved with his family and his brother-in-law's family to Washington, DC. In Washington, Shindler took propriotorship of the Addis Photographic Gallery, where he worked under the name Shindler and Company with his brother-in-law. Shindler was commissioned by English philanthropist William Henry Blackmore and the Smithsonian to make copies of Blackmore's collection of photographs, create a catalog for their exhibition, and photograph delegations of Native Americans visiting Washington. The Blackmore project was completed circa 1872 and Shindler continued to work for the Smithsonian as an artist until his death in July 1899.
The collection consists of forty-five (45) drawings by Antonio Zeno Shindler.
Two (2) of the drawings depict Japanese textile workers and are signed with the Shindler monogram.
Forty-three (43) of the drawings depict archaeological specimens, mostly from mound sites in Tennessee, Iowa, Indiana, Georgia, and Ohio. An annotation on the one of the of drawings reads: "Drawings of objects in the Museum by A. Zeno Shindler, probably in the 1870's or earlier. (Signed) W. H. Holmes." Most of the specimens depcicted were in the United States National Museum (USNM) collections. However, the numbers given do not always correspond to USNM catalog numbers and some drawings have no numbers. Two of the drawings depict specimens in the National Museum of Brazil. The drawings are dated and signed with the Shindler monogram and have been annotated by Shindler with the locality and collector of specimen and the scale of the drawing.
Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.
The drawings found in USNM collection; no catalog or accession numbers have been located. They were transferred from the object collections of the Department of Anthropology to the National Anthropological Archives in 1969.
Antonio Zeno Shindler drawings of Japanese textile workers and archaeological specimens (MS 87829), National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
The National Anthropological Archives holds photographs made by Shindler in Photo Lot 31 (Antonio Zeno Shindler photographs of Native Americans and agents) and other photograph collections.
The Smithsonian Institution Archives holds the A. Zeno (Antonio Zeno) Shindler Watercolors (Record Unit 7371).
The collection is open for research.
Access to the collection requires an appointment.
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Three Women in Costume, Winding Silk Off Cocoons from Bowls Placed on Ovens; Man in Doorway, All in Costume and Inside Wood Frame Building Drawing
Three Women in Costume, Winding Silk Off Cocoons from Bowls Placed on Ovens; Man in Doorway, All in Costume and Inside Wood Frame Building Drawing
NAA INV 08535300
Annotated on verso by Robert Elder: "painting by A. Zeno Shindler, staff artist 1874-1900. His monogram on front. Women winding silk off the cocoons. Japan."
Man in Costume, Showing Method of Separating Fiber with Wooden Object in Textile Preparation Inside Room Drawing
Man in Costume, Showing Method of Separating Fiber with Wooden Object in Textile Preparation Inside Room Drawing
NAA INV 08535400
Pipe Bowl, Stone:Perforated 865 Pipe Bowl, Slate? Perforated (Collected by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08535500
539 Pipe, Stone?: Animal Effigy Head 537 Pipe, Slate? Pipe, Disc:Ceremonial (Collected By Kentucky Geological Survey) Drawing
NAA INV 08535600
Statue, Stone:Female?:Found by S. M. Luther in Shalersville, Portage County, Ohio Drawing
NAA INV 08535700
30816 Pipe, Bird Stone 30817 Pipe (Collected by La Porte from De Kalb County Indiana) Drawing
30816 Pipe, Bird Stone 30817 Pipe (Collected by La Porte from De Kalb County Indiana) Drawing
NAA INV 08535800
869 Carving, Stone:Male Portrait:Profile Drawing
NAA INV 08535900
796 Pipe, Birdstone 787 Pipe, Slate?:Wood? (Collected by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08536000
867/868 Pipe, 2:Stone Pipe, Stone:Animal Effigy (Collected by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08536100
Ax Blade, Stone ?:with Haft and Perforation (Collected by S. M. Luther, Shalersville, Portage County, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08536200
Weight?, 2:Stone Blade, Stone (Collected by Owsley Jackson Borow, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08536300
Cylinder: Raised Band Encircling Center (Found by Mr Haskin, Northern Georgia) Drawing
NAA INV 08536400
850 Pendant, 2:Slate? 851 Knife, Stone: Biface:With Flaked, Notched Edges:Collected by Lewis Leppelman in Fremont Ohio Drawing
NAA INV 08536500
30818 Blade, Stone (from Fort Wayne, Indiana) 30819 Scraper, Flint (from Allen County, Indiana) Drawing
NAA INV 08536600
Pendant, Stone?:Perforated:Incised (from Allen County, Indiana) Drawing
NAA INV 08536700
Blade, Stone? (from Mound in La Porte County, Indiana) Drawing
NAA INV 08536800
788 Pipe, Birdstone:Slate? 791 Knife, Stone?:Perforated:Serrated Edge Drill, Flint? Stone? (Found by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08536900
18325 Scraper, Stone:Flaked:with Corner Notch Drawing
NAA INV 08537000
Ornament, Earthernware, Triangular-Shaped with Three Perforations and Painted Linear Designs:Worn by Women as Guard: from Mound in Burro Cosido, Marajo, Brazil:Presented by Carlos F. Hartt Drawing
Ornament, Earthernware, Triangular-Shaped with Three Perforations and Painted Linear Designs:Worn by Women as Guard: from Mound in Burro Cosido, Marajo, Brazil:Presented by Carlos F. Hartt Drawing
NAA INV 08537100
Ornament, Earthernware, Triangular-Shaped with Three Perforations and Painted Linear Designs Worn by Women as Guard: from Mound in Burro Cosido, Marajo, Brazil Drawing
Ornament, Earthernware, Triangular-Shaped with Three Perforations and Painted Linear Designs Worn by Women as Guard: from Mound in Burro Cosido, Marajo, Brazil Drawing
NAA INV 08537200
858 Pipe, Stone:with Raised Bulbous Decorations on Bowl 859 Pipe, Stone Carved in Shape of Animal Head (Both Found in Mound by Joseph Drew, Eastman, Iowa) Drawing
NAA INV 08537300
860 Carving, Stone:Head (from Zimmerman, Middletown, Pa) Drawing
NAA INV 08537400
854 Stone, Butterfly, 2, Slate Possibly Attached to Stick: Collected by Lewis Leppelman in Fremont, Ohio Drawing
NAA INV 08537500
198 Point, Flint:Biface:Notched and Serrated Edges (Found in Bank of Raisin River, Monroe, Michigan, by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08537600
866 Stone, Butterfly, Slate:Possibly Attached to Stick; (Collected By Lewis Leppleman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08537700
793 Stone, Butterfly: Slate:Possibly Attached to Stick? (Collected by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio?) Drawing
NAA INV 08537800
857 Bannerstone, Slate? (Collected by W. Heaton, Alomaka? County, Iowa) Drawing
NAA INV 08537900
862 Pendant, Banded Slate 861 Tube, Mottled Granite? (Collected by Lewis Leppelman in Fremont, Ohio?) Drawing
NAA INV 08538000
852 Bannerstone, Butterfly Type, Banded Slate 847 Pipe?, Slate?; (Collected by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08538100
794 Tube Slate?, Triangular-Shape 795 Tube, Slate?, Triangular-Shaped (Collected by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08538200
765 Pendant, Slate; Perforated 762 Bannerstone, Slate (Collected by O. N. Jenisen, Lansing, Michigan) Drawing
NAA INV 08538300
848 Bannerstone, Slate (Collected by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08538400
870 Point, Spear:Jasper?:Biface, Notched:Flaked (Collected by Fred J. Miller, Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin) Drawing
NAA INV 08538500
870 Point, Spear:Jasper?:Biface, Notched:Flaked (Collected by Fred J. Miller, Prairie Du Chien, Wisconsin) Drawing
NAA INV 08538600
853 Birdstone, Mottled Stone 849 Pestle?, Stone (Collected by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08538700
763 Bannerstone, Slate:Perforated 764 Tube?, (Collected by O. N. Jenisen of Lansing, Michigan) Drawing
NAA INV 08538800
797 Bannerstone?, Slate?:Perforated 792 Bead, Stone: Perforated (Collected by Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08538900
789 Bannerstone?, Slate?:Perforated 790 (Collected By Lewis Leppelman, Fremont, Ohio) Drawing
NAA INV 08539000
18400 Blade?, Jasper?:Serrated:Notched:Ceremonial Drawing
NAA INV 08539100
18326? Blade?, Jasper? Serrated:Notched:Ceremonial? Drawing
NAA INV 08539200
18328 Scraper, Stone Serrated:Notched Drawing
NAA INV 08539300
18331/18332 Blade 2, Stone:Biface:Notched:Flaked Drawing
NAA INV 08539400
18335/18333 Blade, 2, Stone:Biface:Notched:Flaked Drawing
NAA INV 08539500
18327 Point, Spear?:Stone:Notched Drawing
NAA INV 08539600
Spud, Slate:Ceremonial (Collected by General Wilder, Chattanooga, Tennessee) Drawing
NAA INV 08539700