Piapot and other Indian warriors from the 1885 North West Rebellion were photographed by Oliver Buell in the summer of 1885. An itinerant photographer, Buell travelled the United States and Canada giving illustrated lectures and exhibitions  -  an extremely popular form of public entertainment in the late-nineteenth century. The rebellion provided Buell with ample new material to photograph and eager customers. He reportedly sold 1,700 pictures to the Montreal Garrison Artillery alone.