Lifetime Leaders of Rodeo & Ranching Rodeo Ranching Great Westerner Western Entertaiment & Arts Rodeo Producers & Livestock Special Achievement Cowboy Long Rider Legacy Award

Western Entertainment & Arts

Frank Bennett Fiske
2001 Hall of Fame Arts & Entertainment Inductee

  Photographer Frank Bennett Fiske was born June 11, 1883, in southern Dakota Territory. When he was only six months old, his father left the military, and his parents, George Edward and Louise (Otter) Fiske, ranched until giving it up during the 1888 drought. George accepted work as a civilian wagon master with the U.S. Army at Fort Yates in April 1889.

  Frank attended school at Fort Yates and at the boarding school with the Indian children. He herded cows, played violin, worked as a steamboat cabinboy and helped in the local photograph studio operated by S.T. "Dick" Fansler.

  While still a teenager, Frank opened his own commercial studio in Fort Yates. He developed an appreciation for Indian culture and became proficient at photographing chiefs, warriors and their families. Frank spent brief periods operating a studio in Bismarck and working in the Butler Studio there. He then returned to Fort Yates and spent time working under Captain Grant Marsh, photographing seasons of the Missouri River.

 After serving in the U.S. Army during World War I, Frank married Angela Cournoyer in 1918, and they had one daughter. He continued his photography business in Fort Yates and spent most of his remaining life photographing formal portraits, fairs, rodeos, weddings and dances.

  Frank's photos document everyday life, principally from 1900-1928. He was best known for his Standing Rock Sioux portraits, winning the North Dakota Art Award in 1950. His picture of Red Tomahawk was reproduced on North Dakota highway markers. His style emphasized realism, balanced composition and a sharp focus. Frank's initial photos were captured on dry plates, with prints made using sun processes or a solar enlarger. He later used flexible film.