THE LEDGERBOOK OF THOMAS BLUE EAGLE

The Ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle This children's book was inspired by the magnificent ledger drawings made by Plains Indians in the late 19th century contained in private collections and various museums. It is primarily based on letters, pictographs, and documents from the Pratt papers located at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. It is also based on journals, photos, pictographic drawings on paper, and other materials located at the Cumberland County Historical Society in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Thomas Blue Eagle is a fictional character. Neither he nor any of the other persons depicted in his ledgerbook actually existed. Thomas Blue Eagle's ledgerbook supposes that the artist was able to tell his story in narrative form using both the white man's words and the Indians' picture stories. While no such ledgerbook has come to light, some may have been produced. Nevertheless, these imaginary drawings show events that might well have occurred in the life of a Sioux boy who attended school in the East to learn about the world of the white man. Thomas Blue Eagle's story is founded on historical facts and chronicles the clash of two completely different cultures in America towards the end of the 19th century. This hardcover book with 72 pages measures 12 inches by 7.5 inches.